by Dee J. Adams
“Come, dammit,” he whispered harshly in her ear. “Come.” He tilted her ass up a little higher and moved inside her harder, faster.
A few strokes and she broke apart with a cry as her climax shook her harder than the last aftershock. She bucked into him and Leo’s control snapped. A groan rumbled from his chest as his own orgasm blew through him like a volcano, taking out everything in its wake. The repercussions hit him hard, rocked him to his bones. Nothing had prepared him for the feeling of coming inside her, the euphoria, the freedom, the chest pounding sensation that he’d marked her as his.
Leo collapsed next her, his mind blown. No one had warned him about this kind of emotion, for the blinding almost paralyzing fear that nothing would ever be the same again.
Long minutes later, when they both had their breath and a few brain cells working, Leo pulled her closely against his chest.
He could run from his feelings or he could face them. “You know you mean something to me, right?” It was as close as he’d ever come to being honest with a woman about his emotions and he waited for Kim’s response. He swallowed when she didn’t say anything. “Kim?” he looked down.
Moonlight slashed across her smooth cheeks. Her long dark lashes curved over her closed lids and her steady breath wafted softly over his skin. She was sound asleep.
Didn’t it figure? He finally got the courage to tell the woman something important and she was out cold.
Chapter Nine
The telephone woke Kim the next morning. She rolled over, still on the sofa with two soft, thick blankets covering her bare skin. Every inch of her hurt, but a few private spots celebrated with a full aria, complete with a rousing hallelujah at the end. As she stretched, she spotted Leo in the kitchen as he took the call. Wearing his low hung sweats and bare everywhere else, he looked like a poster ad for health and fitness. Really, he looked good enough to eat. She loved running her hands along his abs and down his biceps. He was chiseled beyond beautiful. She wasn’t sure what made her mouth water more, his broad shoulders, deep tan or the way his back muscles played as he worked at the stove.
The smell of bacon and eggs made her stomach rumble. Maybe that’s why her mouth watered. No…it was Leo.
“Yeah, we’re a go for Saturday. I just heard back from Oliver. It’ll take a few hours to get there and a few more to get the shot.” He listened and shook his head. Something scraped against a pan on the stove. “No, I’ll get Rex to do the fall. With my luck I’ll break something. I’ll mount and ride, but—” He nodded. “Yeah, that’s the plan. Once we get this shot, the rest is easy. It’s all transition shots.” He listened some more. “Okay. Let me know, otherwise I’ll figure you got it and I won’t need my contingency plan. Okay, see you then.” He hung up his phone and glanced over his shoulder. “Ah. Damn. Sorry about that. I was trying to do everything by email so I wouldn’t wake you up, but…” He shrugged and gestured to the phone. “Some people would rather talk it out.”
“That’s okay,” Kim said as she leaned up on her elbows, very conscious of the way Leo’s gaze took in her bare shoulders. She reached for the closest sweatshirt and pulled it over her head, making sure to keep the blanket in place before covering herself.
Leo turned back to the stove and gave her a very clear view of his sculpted posterior.
“Sounds like your movie’s coming together pretty quickly.” Kim shimmied into her sweat bottoms and padded over the carpet and onto the cold kitchen tile.
Stella swished her black tail along the floor, her woe-is-me eyes watching Leo for any sign of food compassion.
Leo dished out scrambled eggs from a pan and accidently let a little hit the floor where Stella pounced. “My cinematographer has a six-day window before he starts his next gig. If I don’t grab him now, I lose him for the next six months.” He turned as she got glasses from the cabinet and poured the orange juice he’d taken out of the fridge.
“What about the rest of the crew?”
“I’m doing this bare bones. We’ll all be doing double duty. Which reminds me, I’ll be leaving before dawn on Saturday, so if you want me to rent a car for you so you can get someplace, we need to do it in the next day or two.”
With everything he had going, he was still thinking of her. Just as he had yesterday when they’d been trekking through the canyon then been pinned down by some nut with a gun. Kim considered the generous offer. He always did that. Kept her off balance with his words and his actions. “That’s very nice of you.” She sipped her juice. “I’ll think about it.” She really didn’t want to ask more of him.
“Or if you’d rather, you can hang here and bond with Stella.”
Stella had given up her begging and lay curled on the blanket that had fallen off the sofa.
“Or…” It wouldn’t kill her to return some of his generosity. Their difference of opinion didn’t have to screw with every part of their relationship. “I could come with you and help out. Sounds like you could use an extra hand.”
He hit her with his blue-eyed gaze as his lips curled up in a smile. “If you’re not careful, I might take you up on that.”
The seductive tone of his voice said he might do more besides taking her up on her offer, and a full-body flush spread from her center and radiated to all parts north and south when he looked at her that way. “I’m very careful,” she said, managing to hold a straight face.
Leo dropped his plastic serving spoon and wrapped her in his arms so fast that Kim squealed. He brought his lips within a fraction of hers. “You’re also sexy as hell wearing my sweats after a night of sofa sex.” No wonder the top had seemed big on her. She’d put on his instead of hers. His lips covered hers and Kim could only go along for the ride. He tasted like citrus and bacon, like morning and sun. And when he cupped her ass and brought her flush against his erection, she forgot about breakfast and feasted on him.
It was crazy. Spontaneous. They’d always managed to keep sex on the back burner on the morning after, and now they couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. Leo lifted her and set her on the opposite counter, moving between her legs as his mouth continued to possess hers. He stroked her everywhere, his hand warm and firm as he explored all the curves and dips he’d reacquainted himself with last night. He edged his thumbs in her waistband and pushed down when the phone rang.
Breathing hard, Kim pulled back and held his face in her hands when he followed her lips. “The phone,” she panted. “You should answer your phone. Your film’s important.”
She’d never seen his blue gaze so intense. He took a breath like he meant to say something, then abruptly closed his mouth and nodded. He grabbed the phone off the counter, glanced at the caller ID and walked out of the kitchen. “Hey, Rex, we’re definitely on for Saturday.” His voice faded as he got farther into the next room and Kim took a deep breath.
What was happening? How come she couldn’t control her lust anymore when it came to this man, especially when she knew they didn’t have a future together?
“Get your head out of the clouds, Kim,” she muttered aloud as she jumped off the counter.
By the time Leo returned, she had breakfast on the table and her libido in check. Even if Leo had wanted to make another move on her, his phone kept ringing and he didn’t get the chance. Then, detectives investigating the car accident came by and took their statements. They took definite interest when Kim mentioned her connection to Carl Wyncott and his impending trial. The man was rich, powerful and could’ve orchestrated both incidents. Leo mentioned the three people who knew about her inheritance and the detectives planned to check their alibies.
Early that afternoon while Leo’s ear stayed glued to his phone, the doorbell rang. Kim saw the FedEx truck and her heart took a giant leap. She opened the door and signed for the delivery. Ripping open the slim envelope, she pumped a fist when she pulled out her new credit card. “Hallelujah,” she said. “First stop, Cesar’s boutique.”
Leo came from his office on the other side of
the staircase, the phone tucked between his head and shoulder as he made notes on a thick yellow pad. Dressed in a pair of worn jeans and a white T-shirt that outlined all his gorgeous muscles, he looked like the movie hero he usually played on the big screen. “Got it,” he said. “I think that covers it.” He listened and laughed. “I can only hope. Yeah.” He nodded. “Sounds good. See you Saturday bright and early.” He disconnected and stopped when he saw her. His gaze raked over the jeans and sandals he’d purchased for her. The heat in his eyes made her flush. “Credit card?” he asked.
Her smile probably said it all. “Shopping?” His phone rang and her grin faded. “Probably not,” she said, answering her own question. “You’re too busy.”
Leo checked the screen. “It’s a toll free number. You couldn’t pay me to answer it.” At her lifted eyebrow, he reconsidered. “Okay, if you paid me…I might answer it.” He checked his watch. “We can go. I’ve got most everything covered and if someone needs me they can leave a message or call my cell.” He grabbed his keys from the counter. “Where do you want to go?”
“Cesar’s store. I want to repay his kindness from the last time.”
“Uh…” Leo stalled and looked almost panicked. “Okay. Let me just give him a quick call and make sure he’s in.”
While Leo did that, Kim changed into one of the outfits Leo had brought her the first night. Considering she hadn’t been with him, he’d managed to pick out something that was totally her style. A black skirt that hit midthigh and a deep purple button-up top with three quarter length sleeves fit her just right. So did the size seven black heels. She couldn’t walk into Cesar’s place like she had two months ago in torn up clothing and she wanted something nicer than jeans. Cesar was a man who knew and appreciated style, and Kim felt a kinship with him on that respect.
Before they left, Kim took the opportunity to call Chelsea and get the ball rolling on her passport. Everything was coming together.
Leo found parking at a nearby lot and together they strolled toward Cesar’s shop. After opening the door, he followed her inside. He scanned the place, probably looking for the owner and seemed to sigh in relief as he met Kim’s gaze.
The shop catered to the sophisticated woman. Track lighting highlighted the bright white paint. Delicate outfits filled the racks lined up against the walls. Shoes, bags and all sorts of lacey underthings filled the tables in the middle, while black-and-white stripped sofas created a comfortable sitting area outside the dressing rooms.
Cesar came from the back room, his arms outstretched. His pink silk shirt peeked out from beneath his black suit and his matching pink tie had black hammers on it. Interesting. Definitely different. “Ah! My favorite customer!” he said, kissing each cheek. He held her shoulders and looked her up and down, his scowl evident. “What is this?” he said. His gesture encompassed all of her, from her scrapes to her clothes.
Apparently he could spot mall wear in the blink of an eye.
“I’m fine and the clothes are temporary,” she said. “Until you find something for me here.”
His smile beamed wide as he linked her arm in his and pulled her deeper into the store. It was probably the only place she could shop and not need any ID to prove herself. Besides, she owed him for discounting everything she purchased two months ago. She didn’t deny the buzz of anticipation as she looked around at the beautiful collection in Cesar’s store. For the first time in her life, she could do some damage. Provided she could let herself spend so much money. Maybe just this once she could do it. Her heart thundered thinking about dropping ten thousand dollars on clothes. It wasn’t in her nature to spend large amounts of money, at least not since losing everything she had four years ago.
Kim picked out a few pieces that worked well together and Cesar showed her to the dressing room. It wasn’t until she came out, dressed in a new outfit, that she spotted the open door to the back room. Leaning against the wall on the floor was a Dangerous Race poster.
Leo’s poster. If she hadn’t recognized the custom frame, she would’ve seen the inscriptions to him personally from his co-star in the movie and the woman who inspired the film. So what was the poster doing here when Leo had insisted it be one of the few items he planned on keeping? Had he changed his mind? Well, obviously, but why?
She didn’t plan to hire a detective to figure out this mystery. She’d go to a source.
Leo waited on the comfortable sofa for Kim to come out of the dressing room. Cesar stood next to him, adjusting clothes on the nearest rack. “Thanks for taking down the poster,” he said, pocketing his cell phone after checking the latest emails. “If Kim saw it, she’d want to know why it was here and there’s no reason for her to find out.”
“Why the big secret?” Cesar asked. “It was a fair trade.”
“I think so, too, but she doesn’t need to know it involved her.”
Cesar shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t get you. You play tough macho guys in the movies, but in real life you’re a big chicken.”
Chicken? No one called him that. Leo stood up, his hackles rising. “What do you mean, chicken? I’m not chicken.”
“Please. You’ve fallen for this woman who is kind and beautiful and strong and you don’t have the guts to tell her. Chicken.” One emphatic nod of Cesar’s head punctuated the word.
“She’s not interested in me,” Leo protested. “Not for the long term. Besides, who wants long term? I don’t.”
“You’re chicken and you’re stupid,” Cesar muttered.
“Hey, I heard that,” Leo groused. “I don’t see you in any long-term partnership,” he added.
“Not because I don’t want one. Who wouldn’t want a companion, a lover, someone to talk to and keep you warm in the middle of the night? Who doesn’t want to be loved?”
Put like that, Leo didn’t have much of a defense. “Not everyone wants the same things, Cesar. Sometimes life is too complicated and it’s easier to be alone.”
“Like I said, chicken and stupid.”
Leo opened his mouth to argue when Kim came out of the dressing room hallway. The turquoise dress molded to her figure cut off any thought process. The low-cut neckline gave a hint of her cleavage without being raunchy, and the slits in the arms showed off the definition in her biceps.
“Now that is how my dress is supposed to look.” Cesar beamed as Kim stopped in front of the three-sided mirror. He lifted the dress’s zipper the rest of the way up making Leo jealous that he hadn’t thought fast enough to do the same. Any excuse to touch her smooth skin.
“What do you think?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder with a critical eye.
Leo moved closer as Cesar backed off with one lifted brow and headed to the counter. “I think you look amazing,” he whispered. He caught the little shiver and inhale that came when his breath tickled her ear.
“It just occurred to me that I won’t get to wear this much longer.”
He opened his mouth to ask why and shut it just as quickly. Because she was pregnant. “You can wear it now and after,” he said.
Holy shit. After she had his baby.
Their eyes met in the mirror and Leo didn’t expect to see compassion.
She faced him, her head tilted to the side. “I need to ask—”
“Mom! It’s him!” A boy ran up to Leo. “I told my brother you really drove that race car in Dangerous Race and he said no way. Did you? Did you?”
“You’re too young to see that movie,” Leo said, facing the boy. He couldn’t have been much more than ten.
“I only watch the racing scenes. Mom won’t let me watch anything else.”
Speaking of his mother, she landed next to her son. “Sorry about that. We’re still learning about privacy.” She looked down at him. “Say good-bye and let’s go. You can tell Jared that you saw him, but don’t bother him.” She took his arm, ready to haul him away. “Sorry about that.”
“No problem.” He crouched in front of the dejected boy. “You can tell y
our brother that I did drive the car.” At least he had in the close-ups. A stunt man had taken it around the track for the race at the end.
“That’s the coolest!” The kid glanced up at his mom and back to Leo. “Will you sign my shirt? That way I can prove I really met you.”
“Uh.” He glanced at the mom who looked at him with hopeful eyes. “Sure, as long as your mom doesn’t mind me signing your shirt. She’s the boss.” He gave her one of his patented smiles and she flushed.
“Okay,” she said.
“I just need something to…” Leo looked around for a pen just as Cesar ran up with a marker. “Thanks,” Leo told his friend. He scribbled his name on the sleeve of the kid’s T-shirt. “How’s that?”
“It’s great! Thank you!” The kid beamed, happy as his mother dragged him out of the shop. Leo turned back to find Kim perusing another rack as Cesar pointed out more options. She nodded her head as she glanced at him and smiled. Cesar handed her a few more hangers of clothes and she took them back to the dressing room.
Cesar’s words circled in his head in a never-ending record. Chicken. Stupid. Chicken. Stupid. He was all of the above.
Chapter Ten
Back at Leo’s place, Kim hung up her new clothes—all but the turquoise dress she’d worn out of the shop—still in sticker shock. Or tag shock. Whatever shock came from spending thousands of dollars on clothes. Was this the reason Aunt Carolyn lived modestly? Because she had a hard time spending money on name brand items or wildly expensive clothes? Money or not, Kim hadn’t found it easy to fork over that kind of dough. She’d mainly done it since she owed Cesar a huge favor for discounting all of the clothes two months ago when Leo had first taken her to his shop. Technically, she probably still owed him more money. Or she owed Leo more money.
The Dangerous Race poster flashed in her mind. Was that why it was in Cesar’s shop? Had Leo bartered for her clothes with it? She never had a chance to ask him about the poster because people had started returning calls. Leo had even arranged things on the phone in the car ride home while she scribbled notes for him.
