He opened the bottle and glanced at the dog that wouldn’t quit its barking. He grinned at Syd. “Hey, Syd, you should make sure your little pup here doesn’t plug its tail into one of the electrical outlets again, huh.”
She rolled her eyes. “Because anyone that’s ever owned a Pomeranian has never heard that one before.” She elbowed him as she walked by and into the next room. “No matter what you do, don’t pet her,” she advised.
He followed her into the family room. He smiled, realizing that his impression of Syd’s house being filled with warmth was indeed correct. He was surrounded by overstuffed cream-colored leather sofas and dark rich woods, a fireplace and a small black baby grand piano tucked away in the corner.
He nodded toward it. “You play?”
She raised a corner of her mouth in response. “Yeah, a bit.”
He set his beer on the wood and glass coffee table. “Gonna have to play a bit for me one of these days.”
Syd chuffed. “Let me think about that. Wait… The answer’s coming to me… No.”
Caleb laughed and shrugged. “We’ll see about that.” He bent in front of the growling dog. “Aw, come here, little guy. Give Caleb a kiss.”
“First off, the dog’s a she,” Syd snorted. “Second, I was serious with the warning. If you want those glorious strumming fingers of yours intact, don’t be doing that. She seems to believe I need her protection, and lately, she’s got this thing against men.” She sighed. “Not that I can blame her.”
He dismissed the words of caution and continued trying to win the dog’s friendship, motioning with his hand and making kissy sounds. “Come here. Come on.”
The dog eyed him suspiciously, ceased her growling, cocked her head to the side and approached him slowly. Caleb wiggled his fingers at her and a low growl sounded in her throat as she lunged at him, nipping said fingers.
“Aw, shit!” he swore, pulling away and immediately standing.
“Puff!” Syd cried, running to Caleb’s side. “Bad girl!”
The dog’s tail tucked between her hind legs and her ears flicked back as she ran to hide under the coffee table.
“No biting him,” Syd chastised. “We like him.”
“We do, do we?” Caleb asked, grinning.
“Don’t let it get to your head, Mr. Jones,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You okay?” She took his hand in hers to examine his fingers. “Aw crap, she broke skin on this one, the little monster. You’re bleeding.”
“Syd, it’s okay, it’s a drop. A papercut would have done more damage.”
She led him into the brightly lit kitchen. She gathered her hair and twisted it into a knot, exposing her neck and the remnants of a small bite mark just below the ear. He remained fixated on the slight yellowish-green bruise, knowing precisely how she’d gotten it. His groin tightened at the memory and he let out a weak groan.
“Let me clean it up a bit,” she said.
She stood in front of him and wrapped a wet tea towel around his bleeding index finger, applying slight pressure.
Fuck, he thought miserably, being this close to her was pure torture. She wasn’t even looking at him—instead she was concentrating all too hard on holding the towel tightly around his finger. Was she having as much trouble staying composed as he was?
“You named your dog Puff?” he asked, smirking.
“Yes, I did. Laugh all you want,” she retorted, finally meeting his gaze and giggling. “Well, look at her! What would you name her?”
“It does fit,” he admitted, laughter bubbling up in him, as well.
Hearing laughter, Puff dared to poke her head out from under the coffee table and snuck a glance at them. Sensing Sydney was no longer ready to roast her, she came out and moved to Caleb, sniffing his pants.
“Well,” Syd said, nodding toward the Pomeranian. “Looks like she showed you who the boss is, and now she’s ready to be friends. She’s such a dominant little—”
“Syd,” Caleb whispered low, wrapping his free hand behind her head and pulling her lips to his.
Chapter Eighteen
Syd’s body jolted as soon as their lips met. She let go of Caleb’s hand, the towel she was holding around his finger dropping to the floor.
He pulled his lips from hers and gazed at her. She was undeniably more beautiful in the dim light filtering in from the kitchen than he recalled. Her eyes were completely unreadable as she stared wordlessly back up at him.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit. I shouldn’t have done that.
He hadn’t even been in the house for ten minutes and already he’d been unable to keep his hands to himself and had planted one on her. He was rushing things again, unsure if she was okay with him even being there, and he felt like a world-class idiot. He put some distance between them and scratched his head. “Um, listen. I’m really sorry about that. I should probably leave.” He turned away and started toward the foyer.
“So basically, you came all the way to Vancouver to give me my earring, kiss me and then run away? I don’t think so.”
Syd grabbed Caleb’s arm and whirled him around to face her. In one swift motion, she threaded her fingers into his hair and pulled his lips down to hers, kissing him fiercely.
He was stunned, rooted to the floor. He certainly hadn’t been expecting that.
“You’re not mad at me?” he whispered when she finally tore her mouth from his.
“I’m livid,” Syd answered, breathless, drawing him in for another kiss, leaving no doubt whatsoever as to her desire for him. Her soft body pressed onto his, supple curves molding against his chest. She trailed her fingers south from his head to his neck, tugging his hair gently along the way. She moved to his torso, stopping at the hem of his indigo graphic T-shirt.
Caleb dropped his hands to her waist, encircling her and bringing her flush to him. He deepened the kiss and gently coaxed her lips apart. She met his tongue with equal fervor and purred in the back of her throat, pulling his shirt out from his pants.
He broke the kiss and leaned away from her a few inches. “Are you sure?” he asked, tracing his thumb along her delicate jaw line.
“Am I going to have to tell you to shut up like I did back at the chalet?”
He clenched his jaw in anticipation. “No, darlin’. Not a chance in hell of that.”
He raised his arms, allowing her to pull the shirt up and off him with ease. His heartbeat quickened when she whipped it, without care, to the side. Syd met his gaze, dark with desire, and trailed down to his jeans. Her smile was crooked as she feathered her fingers over his chest. His skin felt as if it were on fire as her nails gently scraped along his abdomen, finally hooking into the waistband of his pants. While she concentrated on unbuckling his belt, Caleb tried his best not to tear off all the buttons on her blouse in his eager bid to touch her, get impossibly closer to her. It was all he thought about now. The need consumed him and when he finally undid the last button, he ripped the garment from her body and threw it behind him.
He splayed his fingers over the smooth skin of her back, Caleb tipped down and nuzzled Syd’s neck. She remained still for a few seconds, panting shakily, before cursing under her breath and resuming her quest to get his pants off. He moved her unsteady hands away and unclasped his jeans himself, kicking them off onto the floor.
When he looked back up, he was a bit shocked to find that Syd, in her impatience, had hiked the skirt up over her hips and was tearing off her nylons. He took in her smooth, golden, almost endless legs.
She latched onto him and he was hoisted to the couch atop her. He fell between her legs and she immediately cinched her ankles at the small of his back. He groaned in her ear when her heat pressed to him and he shifted his hips, yearning for what was to come. Syd slid her hands down his back and into his underwear, her nails scratching his ass as her fingers moved beneath the thin fabric.
She licked his neck and pressed her hips up against his hard cock, and a soft, sexy sound escaped her lips. “Ready when you are,” she
breathed.
Caleb balanced carefully above her, bracing himself with one arm on the back of the sofa. He used his free hand to unclasp her bra and strip it from her. Gentle, he drew his fingers along the supple curve of one breast and dipped his head to take its hard nub into his mouth, biting lightly, enjoying the musky taste.
Syd maneuvered a hand between them and snaked it into his briefs, grabbing hold of the length of him and murmuring appreciatively when he throbbed in response to her touch.
“Jesus, Syd,” he rasped. He kissed her hard and carefully lifted off her. He stood, wondering at her near-naked body sprawled across the sofa, her skin glowing in the subtle light filtering in from the kitchen. He knelt, slid his hands beneath her bottom and slowly pulled her lace panties down and, finally, completely off her.
She wiggled restlessly. “You have something,” she whimpered. “Please tell me you have something.”
Caleb grinned at her and reached for his pants, snagging his wallet then pulling out a short strip of foil packets. He ripped one off and tossed the remainder on the floor. He expertly rolled the condom on and was on top of Syd again within seconds. He positioned himself between her legs and exhaled slowly as he gradually entered her.
Syd instantly hooked her heels at the small of his back and applied pressure, pushing him completely into her, not allowing him the opportunity to take it slow. “Finally,” she whispered as she nibbled on his ear.
He rolled his pelvis, quickly learning that soft and easy were two things Syd wasn’t interested in at the moment. She dug her nails into his hips, urging him to drive himself into her faster, deeper. The feel of her wrapped around him and her breath in his ear were almost too much for Caleb to bear. He’d wanted Syd from the second he’d laid eyes on her on that icy road in Banff. And now, to have her finally, after nights of restless sleeps and vivid dreams, there was no way he could last.
He began moving within her at a frenzied pace, his strong hands on her for leverage. She gripped his hips hard, guiding him to go faster and push harder up and into her. Within moments, she clenched, vise-like around him, her body rippling with release. The sound she made as she reached orgasm was guttural and it sent Caleb tumbling over the edge. He threw back his head and, doing his best not to scream and alert the entire block, shuddered as he emptied into her.
Gasping for breath, Caleb gently rested his body against Syd’s, sweat mingling with sweat. He ran his hands up and down her arms and closed his eyes in contentment when she stroked his head, combing the damp hair off his forehead before kissing it.
“Holy shit.”
“I know,” Syd giggled.
“That was unexpected, darlin’.”
She burst out laughing and pushed him off her. “Right. That’s why you came fully equipped,” she snorted.
He smirked back at her. “Wishful thinking?”
“Well, in that case, I like the way you think.” She leaned over and planted a soft kiss on his lips. Syd glanced at the foil packets in her hand then shifted her gaze to his. “Are these all you have left?”
He nodded in response.
She grinned at him as she swung a leg over his, straddling him. “Not nearly enough,” she whispered, her green eyes locked onto his.
Caleb barely resisted the urge to laugh. “Darlin’, I’m not twenty anymore.”
“Neither am I.” She used her nose to nudge his head up and slowly licked his neck, ending right below his ear. She gave the lobe a light bite and got to her feet.
“Oh, that’s pure evil.”
She smiled sweetly at him and bent to retrieve her bra from the bowl of oranges it had landed in on the coffee table.
Puff, who had escaped the room the moment the moaning and groaning began, now trotted back in and hopped up onto the couch beside Caleb, resting her little head on his thigh.
Caleb, covering his tender bits with one hand lest the dog attack again, admired Syd in the dim light. Her hair was disheveled, her mouth slightly bruised, her breasts set into stiff, bright pink peaks and her pencil skirt remained hiked up around her hips.
God, she’s gorgeous.
“I still can’t believe you actually brought condoms with you. Not that I’m complaining,” she continued, unzipping and pulling the pencil skirt down and off her, leaving her totally nude. “You’re a cocky bastard, is all.”
His jaw clicked as she navigated the room. “And if you keep flashing that fine ass of yours at me like that, you might end up being right about two more condoms not being nearly enough.”
“What? This ass?” she asked, bending over and wiggling it at him.
He jumped to his feet and reached his hand out to grab her. Syd squealed and, escaping him, took off down the hall. He ran after her, Puff following closely behind, yapping playfully. She climbed the stairs and made it to the landing before he caught up and snatched her ankle. Syd landed with a thud and began giggling hysterically.
He went to his knees a couple of steps beneath the landing and pulled her to him, so that her bottom was barely resting on solid ground. He leaned over her and swept a rogue lock of hair off her face. He brushed his lips against hers, loving the way her entire body seemed to sigh in response to his touch.
A moment later, Puff was trying to get in on the action, her tongue lavishing them with puppy kisses.
Syd’s body trembled as she began giggling again. “Not now, Puffy,” she whispered. “Mommy’s busy being attacked by a sexy rock star.”
Puff gave Syd’s nose one last lick before bounding up the rest of the stairs to play with a squeaky toy.
Caleb lifted himself off her, and when Syd tried to sit up, he gently pushed her shoulders back down. He trailed his fingers across her collarbone and over her breasts, stopping and resting on the soft mounds. “Sexy rock star, huh?”
“Nyeh, sometimes anyway,” she joked, unable to stop laughing.
He raised his eyebrows. “Is something funny?” he inquired, sliding closer to her and kissing the inside of her thigh.
“Maybe. Just a little.”
“How about now?” he asked, his head diving between her legs.
Chapter Nineteen
Oh my dear God in heaven. Syd sucked in a sharp breath.
The things this man did with his mouth made her dizzy and she tried not to pass out from the sheer delight of it all. He slid his tongue slowly along her inner thighs, swirling from left to right and back again, teasing her.
“Not… Not laughing,” she stuttered breathlessly.
“Good girl,” Caleb mumbled, lifting his head and using his hands to spread her legs even farther.
She arched her hips in silent invitation and he accepted, finally skimming his tongue slowly up and down her oversensitive slit. Syd shuddered and closed her eyes, reveling in the sensation. He flicked that nub between her folds and she cried out.
Syd couldn’t remember the last time she’d had this level of intimacy and the connection with Caleb both exhilarated and shocked her. She wanted to watch him, to engrave this moment and the heat they had for each other in her mind forever. She lifted her head to catch a glimpse of him, only seeing shapes and shadows—the faint light that seeped in from the kitchen wasn’t enough to reveal much more than silhouettes in the darkened stairwell.
He applied gentle pressure to the tiny knot of skin and she almost jumped to the ceiling. He pressed one palm flat on her stomach to hold her still while, with his free hand, he inserted first one, then two fingers inside her. She gasped and gripped the edge of the landing, trembling.
“Easy there, babe,” Caleb whispered below her.
She whimpered beneath him, wiggling her hips impatiently. He moved to her abdomen and kissed and licked the soft skin there, all the while rhythmically moving his fingers in and out of her. She was teetering on the edge, the fuzzy shroud of pleasure about to overtake her completely.
But she didn’t want to waste this orgasm on his fingers.
She roughly pushed him away and reached fo
r the two condoms that had escaped her grip when Caleb had snagged her on the landing.
“You. Inside me. Now,” she ordered, tearing one off and tossing it to him.
He growled deep in his throat as he rolled it on and plunged inside her.
Jesus.
That was the only word that came to mind as soon as Caleb began gliding in and out of her in long, smooth strokes. He felt better than she had ever imagined, better than she’d ever dreamed he’d feel. She maneuvered so that she was supporting herself on her forearms and elbows, and locked eyes with him. He gripped her harder, fingers digging into her soft flesh, and he closed his eyes. Dots of sweat glistened on his forehead in the murky darkness and his brows were knit together with concentration.
Witnessing Caleb in this state was almost too much for her to bear—it was sexy and passionate and raw. He moved one thumb to the sensitive nub between her legs and began circling it lightly, sending jolts shooting through her body. Syd sucked in a sharp breath and cried out his name, throwing her head back and letting go.
When she opened her eyes and recovered from the aftershocks, she could see Caleb in the murky darkness, his face screwed up with desire. In an instant, Syd realized he was holding off his own release and was trying to make it last as long as possible for her. She didn’t want him to stop and, gasping for air, bucked her hips, encouraging him to go on.
Caleb leaned over her, bracing himself on the landing with palms flat on the floor on either side of Syd. He crushed his mouth against hers and forced his tongue inside. He drove within her, each stroke harder and wilder than the one before. After but a moment, Syd screamed and clamped around his cock, spiraling into another blissful orgasm. Caleb let out a hiss of breath and shuddered above her, experiencing his own release.
He rested his head on her sweat-slicked stomach for a few moments, his hands hooked around her bottom. He nuzzled her right above her belly button and gave a happy sigh. Syd found his face in the dark and gently stroked his cheek, still trying to catch her breath.
Little White Lie Page 10
