by Laurel Kerr
“I think I may have an emergency one in my purse,” Katie said.
Sweet, nerdy Katie Underwood carried emergency condoms? Before his brain could fully register that tidbit, she turned around and bent over to dig through her purse. His mind went blank again.
She had a really, really great butt.
“Got one,” Katie declared. “Found two actually.”
She turned around and lobbed one in his direction. He reflexively caught it against his chest. He barely had time to rip open the packaging and slip on the condom before Katie crashed into him. She snaked one bare leg around him while pressing her mouth against his. He wrapped his arms about her, resting his hands on her bottom. It felt even better than it looked.
Hoping to elicit more sounds of pleasure, he trailed his lips down Katie’s sensitive neck. Once again, she arched her back, thrusting her bare breasts practically into his face. He tentatively began to kiss in that direction. Katie slid her hands into his hair and guided him down to the valley between her breasts.
Oh yeah.
As Bowie explored with his mouth, he could hear Katie’s short gasps of delight. Between the taste of her velvety skin and her sensual cries, he grew even harder.
Then she pressed against him.
He groaned against the onslaught of lust. His hands instinctively kneaded the soft flesh of Katie’s bottom. She responded by moving her hips in a rhythmic circle.
Bowie felt as if he was going to explode. With a harsh intake of air, he managed to pull away just in time.
“Katie…sweetheart,” he managed to force out between ragged breaths. “We’ve got to slow down, or I’m not going to last.”
The right side of her lips quirked upward in a pure, sensual challenge. “Let’s speed up instead. I’m ready for you.”
Before Bowie’s lust-hazed mind could fully process her statement, she pushed on his chest. He automatically took a couple of steps backward. When his calves hit the front of his desk, Katie gently shoved him. His legs buckled, and he plopped down.
She straddled him, placing one knee on either side of the desk. Then, she slowly lowered her body, one delicious centimeter at a time. As her warmth encased the length of him, he groaned helplessly. She began to move then—slow and steady. Need swelled inside, driving him to the brink of madness.
Bowie grabbed Katie’s bottom and increased the speed as he thrust upward. She gave a cry of pleasure as she lifted her breasts in clear invitation. He circled one nipple with his tongue before taking it into his mouth.
She dug her fingers into his scalp as her inner muscles convulsed around him. Encouraged, he increased the tempo, their sweat-slicked skin rubbing against each other’s.
Katie came first. Her muscles spasmed around him as she cried out. His body responded with a shattering climax of its own.
Bowie collapsed back on his desk, pulling Katie with him. She sprawled limply across his chest. As they lay sucking in air, he idly ran his fingers against the soft skin of her back.
His brain scrambled to understand what the hell had just happened. He knew one thing for certain. He had just experienced the single most erotic episode of his entire life.
In his office, of all places.
He was grateful they’d locked the door to film the video and that the blinds were pulled. Even though it was still early, since they were shooting right after Katie’s shift with the cubs, he didn’t want Lou or, especially, Abby walking in on them.
Katie lifted her head a couple of inches from his chest and shot him an impish look.
“So, I’ve got another condom. When do you think you’ll be ready for round two?”
* * *
Round two, unfortunately, was postponed. Katie still wanted to film the video so they could upload it to the website on schedule, and Bowie didn’t have much time before the zoo opened for the day.
Despite the fact that her nerve endings still sizzled, Katie managed to hold the camera steady as she taped Bowie and Rosie. The little cockatoo was a natural performer. As soon as Bowie placed the bird on his shoulder, she preened, running her gray foot through her yellow mohawk as she stared coquettishly into the lens. While Bowie gave facts about parrots, Rosie pulled affectionately at his hair. Right after he mentioned the natural curiosity of cockatoos, she explored the strap of his eye patch.
But when Katie flipped on the music, Rosie stood at attention and started tapping her foot to the initial notes of “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me).” She bobbed and weaved on Bowie’s shoulder, keeping perfect time. When the song ended, Rosie squawked and ducked her head, shaking out her plume. The gesture looked exactly like a little bow. Luckily, Katie managed to keep from cooing and ruining the perfect take.
Bowie reached over and carefully lifted Rosie off his shoulder. He placed her in the cage they’d used to transport her from her exhibit. With the bird in one hand, he turned back to Katie.
“That went well,” he said, resting his hand on the back of his head. It struck Katie that he was feeling a little nervous after their lovemaking and maybe even a tad unsure. And, darn, if she didn’t find that sweet and flattering.
“Kids and parents will love the video,” she told him. “Pirate Day is going to be a huge success. I just feel it.”
Bowie nodded and cleared his throat. “Well, I guess this is goodbye then… For now, I mean.”
At his quick clarification, Katie smiled. Who would have thought that Bowie Wilson could have an awkward side?
Unable to help herself, she stood on her tiptoes and brushed a kiss over his lips. As she stepped back, she gave him her sexiest smile. “See you tonight, Bowie.” Then, with one last flirtatious grin, she pulled the office door shut behind her.
Despite having taken care of the cubs all night, Katie felt energized and maybe even a little giddy as she drove home. But by the time she’d stopped at the ranch house to say hello to her parents and then headed to her own place, the frenetic energy had ebbed, leaving her drained. She fell into a deep, sated sleep as soon as she climbed into bed and woke rejuvenated just before it was time to head to the zoo to care for the cubs.
* * *
As Katie walked into the nursery, she noticed that Bowie had moved the air mattress into the adjacent room. It was close enough that they could still hear the little guys if they cried for milk, but its location would give her and Bowie more privacy. Anticipation bubbled inside her.
Humming happily, she tinkered with the zoo’s website while the cubs played. Fleur, the most affectionate of the trio, crawled over and bumped against Katie’s leg. Katie smiled as she reached down to ruffle the cougar’s head. After some snuggles, the little puma began her clumsy crawl to rejoin her siblings, who were playing with plush animals. Katie returned to her design work. She was so absorbed, she didn’t notice that Bowie had entered the room until he nuzzled the side of her neck.
“Mmmm,” she murmured as she leaned back against his strong chest. She smiled contentedly as his lips found all the right spots.
“Sorry it took me so long,” he said between kisses. “I had to clean up the dishes and put Abby to bed.”
“No problem,” Katie said as she turned to kiss him full on the mouth. She welcomed the warm waves of pleasure that rolled through her.
Although the embrace lacked the urgency of this morning’s encounter, it was every bit as potent. Instead of igniting Katie’s passion, it drugged her with languid sensuality.
Just then, Dobby began to mewl plaintively. Bowie grabbed a prepared bottle and expertly fed the little guy. Knowing that once one started complaining, so did the others, Katie took charge of one of the sisters.
When the cubs had had their fill, they lumbered over to Sylvia. Bowie and Katie lifted the little guys into the crate. The capybara had fallen asleep, but she patiently tolerated the invasion. The trio climbed over her until they all found comfortable positions. It
didn’t take long until all four animals were slumbering together in the most adorable heap of fur.
Bowie turned back to Katie, his expression downright wolfish. He crossed over to her in two masterful strides.
“Now where were we?” he murmured as he dipped his lips to meet hers. Then, to her surprise, he grabbed her by her butt and effortlessly hoisted her into the air. She instinctively wrapped her legs around him. Without breaking the kiss, Bowie carried her to the adjacent room where he’d moved the air mattress. He bent over and gently deposited her on the makeshift bed before kneeling down beside her.
The show of masculine strength sent a thrill through Katie. Sitting half-reclined, she reached up to brush her hand over his bicep, relishing the feel of his hard muscles.
When she pulled at his T-shirt, he obligingly shucked it aside. Leaning forward, she licked his chest while he undid the buttons on her shirt. Although he fumbled slightly, it didn’t take him long to push back the fabric. With adorable concentration, he unhooked the front of her bra as she sat up to give him access. He didn’t even give her time to slip out of her loosened clothes before his mouth closed over one of her breasts. His warm hand kneaded the other until he had her gasping and writhing with pleasure.
Desperate to have him inside her again, she undid the fly on his jeans. He eased back just long enough to pull down his pants. While he put on a condom, she fully removed her shirt. She started to pull down her jean shorts, but Bowie gently laid his hand on her wrist.
“Let me,” he said, his voice husky and honey-smooth. She stopped and allowed him to peel back the denim fabric two inches at a time. She watched, fascinated, as he paused to kiss each swath of her body as he revealed it. When he reached the sensitive areas of her inner thigh, he sucked slightly, his gray eyes steady on hers. She wiggled against the absolute pleasure building inside her.
When she thought she could no longer withstand the unfulfilled sparks he ignited, Bowie finally finished removing her shorts. Then, he slipped her dampened panties from her body and placed his mouth against her. Her body arched at the feel of his tongue. With his calloused thumbs, he rhythmically stroked the seams of her inner thighs.
As wave after wave of intense, brilliant pleasure coursed through her, Katie helplessly gripped the sides of the air mattress. Her whimpers grew into cries as she shattered. By the time she finished, she was panting heavily. When some semblance of sanity returned, she found Bowie watching her with pure male satisfaction.
“You liked that, didn’t you?” he asked.
She managed a breathless uh-huh, which only made his grin broaden.
“Would you like some more?”
She nodded emphatically, and he chuckled. He lowered his body onto hers, then sank slowly inside her, the friction further stimulating the already-sensitized nerve endings. Their lips met, pressing together in a frenzied dance.
Bowie started to move, slowly and deeply inside her. Katie made a sound in the back of her throat as she thrust her hips upward, urging him to increase the speed. He needed no further prompting. Soon, they moved at a frenetic pace. His lips found a sensitive spot between her shoulder and neck, expertly heightening her pleasure.
Katie came first, and then she felt Bowie’s muscles stiffen. He gave a cry of his own and partially collapsed against her. With a groan, he flipped their bodies so that she lay draped over him. Tracing lazy circles over his chest with her finger, she regarded him. His eyelids had drifted half-closed, and he had a blissfully satisfied expression on his face.
She lay there for a few minutes, enjoying the feel of his strong body under hers. So far, he was one of the best lovers she’d ever had—maybe even the best. There was something raw and primal about their couplings. Maybe it was because she had decided ahead of time that their relationship wasn’t going to progress beyond the physical. She knew better than to be romantic about Bowie. Maybe even to be romantic about anyone. He’d taught her that lesson early on, and it had stuck with her. Sure, she’d done some dating and had even had some relationships that lasted for a while, but she had never invested her heart fully, and she’d never been particularly devastated when those relationships came to a natural end. It was safer that way.
Bowie’s breathing grew heavy as he drifted off to sleep. Quietly, Katie tried to climb off the air mattress without disturbing him. His eyes flew open just as she stood up. She could see his appreciation as his gaze fell on her nude body. It was nice having a man as attractive as Bowie Wilson study her with such undisguised lust. Although Katie didn’t obsess over her body image, she knew she wasn’t perfect. She carried too much flab around her thighs, hips, and butt, but when he looked at her like that, she felt like a goddess.
“Sorry.” Bowie stifled a yawn. “Didn’t mean to fall asleep right away.”
Katie gave him a smile to show he hadn’t offended her. “That’s okay. You’ve had a long day.”
He raked his hand through his hair as he stared at her. “You’re sure you’re not upset?”
She shook her head. “Bowie, it’s okay if we keep things casual.”
His eyebrows pulled downward. “Ah, just so there is no misinterpretation, and I don’t accidentally end up being an insensitive jerk, what exactly does ‘keep things casual’ mean?”
“Friends with benefits.”
Bowie frowned. “So, you and me? It’s just sex? Nothing more?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Just no-strings-attached sex.”
* * *
Katie confused the hell out of Bowie. Of course, it didn’t help that his mind was currently fried from a second round of mind-blowing sex in less than twenty-four hours. Through the years, he’d had his share of one-night stands, but even those women demanded a semblance of affection after tearing up the sheets. Hell, he didn’t blame them. It wasn’t asking much for a guy to stay the night instead of hightailing away as soon as the action stopped.
He didn’t know if Katie really meant no-strings-attached sex. Hell, he didn’t think such a thing existed outside of porn. Sex had consequences unless the couple never encountered each other again, and Katie was fairly intertwined in his life at the moment. Even if she quit volunteering and helping him with marketing, Sagebrush wasn’t a big town. They’d run into each other eventually.
Plus, Bowie was fairly certain that Katie planned to continue having sex with him, something he would very much like to encourage. He didn’t want to screw things up by acting like a jerk. He also didn’t want her to bail on helping out at the zoo.
He rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t want to be dense, but I want to make sure that we’re on the same page. You would be okay if I walked out of here right now and went home to bed?”
Katie nodded.
“Then what? We hook up when we’re in the mood, and other than that, we continue as though nothing else has changed?”
“Yes. I was being honest when I said we could just be friends with benefits. I appreciate you trying to make sure I know what I’m getting into, but this works for me, especially right now. I’m not sure how long I’ll stick around Sagebrush, and I wouldn’t want to complicate things by starting something serious.”
Bowie wondered if he knew what he was getting into. He’d never done anything like this before. It wasn’t as if Sagebrush was a hotbed of sexual activity. The dating scene basically sucked for a single dad.
Sagebrush had some skiing—nothing impressive like in Aspen, but it brought in college students and young professionals looking for a cheaper alternative to an expensive ski weekend. In the summer, nearby Rocky Ridge National Park attracted backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts. When he was younger and before Gretchen got sick, Bowie would hit up the local bar every now and again. He’d had a pretty good success rate at meeting solo out-of-towners who’d invite him back to their lodgings. When Gretchen was first diagnosed with cancer, Bowie hadn’t wanted to bother her or Lou with b
abysitting Abby. Then he’d found himself taking care of both the household and the zoo. Now he was so busy that when he had downtime, he wanted to spend it with Abby, not a random woman. And since he’d just turned thirty at the beginning of the summer, he was way too old for picking up coeds.
Hell if he knew anything about real relationships. The only long-term commitment he’d experienced had been the two and a half years he’d spent with Sawyer. It had been a clichéd high-school romance—high drama, multiple breakups, unchecked hormones, the whole gambit.
“This is what you want?” Bowie asked.
Katie bobbed her head again and then paused as if considering something for the first time. “Are you okay with it?”
Was he okay with it? He was a guy. This was supposed to be his nirvana, right? “Sure,” he said. “I’m good. So, um, I guess this is good night then.”
“Get your rest, cowboy,” Katie said, as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “You might need some extra energy tomorrow…if you’re lucky.”
Despite its recent workout, his body tensed in anticipation. With an awkward half smile, Bowie ducked out of the room and headed across the zoo to his house.
Friends with benefits. It sounded like a great setup, especially for a busy single father. Steady sex with little effort. No theatrics. No fuss. Just pure physical pleasure.
So why was he feeling a little like the lovelorn Lulubelle?
* * *
Fluffy grinned. Broadly. His plans had come to fruition. The Black-Haired One was staying in the redheaded female’s burrow. Soon, there would be more wee ones.
Satisfied with his handiwork, he shuffled away from the animal hospital. He had other adventures tonight. Frida needed more excitement and exercise than she got from playing with the ball the bipeds had given her. The Black-Haired One could carry on now without Fluffy’s manipulations. Natural instincts were engaged, so nothing could go wrong. Fluffy was certain that even the bipeds couldn’t mess this up. Well, almost certain. They were human after all.
