Again there was a pause. “You have a good memory, and yes, she’s the one. She promised to wait for me and broke her promise. I guess you can say she had a change of heart.”
As far as Randi was concerned, it was Lilly’s loss. In all actuality, it wasn’t Lilly’s loss, because she had never been meant for Quasar anyway. His destiny was tied to hers. But that wouldn’t stop him from falling in love with a woman he’d assumed was his future. Did he still love her?
“I’m sorry, Quasar. About what happened with you and Lilly.”
He looked over at her. “No reason for you to be sorry. You didn’t know me or Lilly. It was her decision. She said she couldn’t wait any longer and wanted to marry someone else. I gave her my blessing.”
Randi didn’t say anything. Was that the reason he hadn’t returned to LA all this time? “Does Lilly still live in LA?”
“Yes, she still lives here.”
There. She pretty much had her answer. “Is she still married?”
“Yes, she’s still married.”
How did he know? Were they in each other’s lives? She couldn’t help but think of her own parents’ story. How Jenna had broken things off with Randolph right after college, thinking she was doing the right thing. But her father had loved her mother too much to sever the cord entirely, keeping tabs on her all those years, even when Jenna married another man. And as fate would have it, they’d reunited after twenty years and married. Was Quasar Patterson another Randolph Fuller? A man who could love only one woman? The woman who’d been his first love? The woman who was married to another man? Where would that leave Randi?
Fate had been on her parents’ side, but she knew it wasn’t for Quasar and Lilly. He wasn’t meant to marry Lilly. He’d been chosen for Randi. But did it matter if his heart belonged to someone else? How was she to earn his love if another woman already had it under lock and key?
“Randi?”
Quasar saying her name broke into her muddled thoughts. Too many of them, all at once. Coming at her with injurious force and making her wonder if she’d been set up for failure. She refused to believe that. She couldn’t believe that.
“Yes?” She glanced over at him. She knew the same look was in his eyes that had been there in her hotel room. All she had to do was glance at his mouth to recall the wildness of his taste and how the erotic use of his tongue had nearly brought her to her knees. Made her moan. Filled her with a longing she hadn’t felt, ever. She couldn’t forget how he’d sucked on her bottom lip while his hand held her chin hostage.
“We can sit here and talk, or we can do other things,” he said.
She didn’t have to wonder what those other things were. Although she and Larry had never made out in a parked car, she’d had college friends who had. They hadn’t minded sharing the details with anyone who cared to listen. “I hope you’re not suggesting we make out in the backseat of this car like horny teens. Besides,” she said in a lighthearted tone, “I don’t make out on the first date.”
A smile eased his lips, magnifying the sexual chemistry encasing them. “First of all, Randi Fuller, this isn’t our first date. And as far as making out like horny teens is concerned, although the thought of such a thing sounds pretty damn appealing, I wouldn’t suggest we go that far.”
Then what was he suggesting? “I thought you brought me here to enjoy the view.”
He chuckled as he released his seat belt and twisted his body to stare directly at her. “I did, and I am. I love the view I’m looking at right now.”
She actually liked them being together like this, sitting in a parked car underneath the beautiful moon and stars. There was no way anything would happen as long as she kept a level head and didn’t let desire override her common sense. “I meant the view outside the window.”
“I like looking at you better. Nice blouse, by the way,” he said, reaching out and stroking his finger across her bare skin exposed by her cold-shoulder blouse. Shivers raced through her from his touch. Igniting some of the same parts of her that he’d awakened last week. “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”
“Do you know what else I like?” he asked as he continued to stroke her bare skin softly.
Don’t ask, Randi, she silently ordered herself. Instead of obeying, she asked, “What?”
“Kissing you. I think about tasting you every time I see your mouth,” he said, reaching out and unsnapping her seat belt.
Randi swallowed, feeling the intensity of his gaze on her mouth. “I honestly don’t know what to say.”
He leaned closer, never breaking eye contact, and filling her nostrils with his manly scent. “Say you want me to kiss you. That you want to feel my tongue inside your mouth, tangling with yours. Sucking on it,” he whispered huskily, just mere inches from her lips. “Say it.”
That was too much to repeat, so she said, “Just do it.”
And he did.
He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, greedily, as if his desire for her had pushed him to the edge and he couldn’t stop falling. Then he covered her mouth with his, devouring the entire thing. Consuming her. Claiming her. Driving her mad with desire. Fogging her brain. And making her body hum. Quasar had the ability to take a single kiss and make it explode like a keg of dynamite even before the fire was lit.
She felt every swirling stroke of his tongue that left no area of her mouth untouched. Blood pulsated through her veins. Hunger pangs were awakened deep within her womb. Her tongue retaliated, and she leaned into him to get farther into his mouth. She grabbed hold of those massive shoulders, loving the way they felt beneath her hands. They were muscular shoulders. Perfect shoulders.
His mouth wouldn’t let up. Neither would hers. A battle of the tongues ensued. Both would come out winners...or losers...since this kiss was as far as they could take it. And in knowing that, they were driven to take it to the limit. She was rooted in the scent of man. The scent of him. The sensations of his damp tongue sliding back and forth over hers incited a tempestuous hunger within her. It was then that she became conscious of his hand slipping between her legs. His palm pressed against the fabric of her pants. Right there in the center. In that heated spot. As if he was claiming ownership. Branding her.
And that’s when she came.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
QUASAR WAS AWARE the moment it happened. Felt the tremors that passed through Randi’s body, felt the quivering thighs that tightened around his hand. Her tongue had suddenly gone wild. Then wilder. His mouth might be sore tomorrow. But then, so would hers.
He untangled their mouths and nearly grunted in pain at the way his hard erection was jammed against his zipper. He drew in a deep breath as he gazed at her. Her eyes were closed as if she needed to catch her breath. And he heard the jagged murmur of satisfaction in her moan.
He tried to recall if he’d ever brought a woman to climax with his tongue—inside her mouth and not between her legs—and had to conclude he never had. Until now. Randi had to be the most passionate woman he’d ever known. Definitely ever had the pleasure of kissing. And it had been pleasure. All the way to the bone. Nearly more than he could handle. Just hearing her come had fueled that burning ache within him.
And then there was the kiss that had started it all. Her mouth had a unique flavor. One he enjoyed too damn much. He couldn’t help wondering how the rest of her tasted, and he became even more aroused at the thought of finding out.
He had intended for this kiss to be slow and steady, but the moment his tongue entered her mouth, all he could think about was how ravenous he was. The more their tongues mated and mingled, the more insatiable he felt. The more every cell in his body erupted in need.
He thought about her breasts. While he kissed Randi, he could feel her hardened nipples poking him in the chest through the material of his jersey. Each poke had affected every nerve endin
g in his body. Gripped him. Aroused him. Excited him. Driven him to kiss her even harder.
She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. “I need to get my heart rate back in sync,” she said raggedly, drawing air into her lungs.
“Go ahead. Don’t let me stop you,” he said, sliding his mouth to her shoulders to lick the bare skin exposed by her blouse. He could hear her intense breathing, and when she moaned his name, he lifted his head to look first at her face before moving his eyes downward to her chest. He watched the movement of her breasts while she inhaled and exhaled. The lower part of his body began throbbing under the close observation. Hmm, if he could make her come from kissing her mouth, what would happen if he sucked on her breasts? Licked them all over?
“I can’t believe I did that from just a kiss,” she said, forcing his attention from her breasts back up to her face. “Who does that?”
His smile stretched wide. “You do. You did. Want to try it again?”
He heard her soft chuckle. “You’re insatiable.”
“Look who’s talking.”
Car lights flashed through the back window as another car pulled up to enjoy the view...or for the occupants to enjoy each other. “I really brought you here for the view but couldn’t help myself,” he said, buckling her seat belt and then easing back to his seat to buckle his. “You’re a difficult woman to resist, Randi Fuller.”
“Funny you should say that.”
“Why?”
“Because you just said the same thing my dad always said about my mother. He said he fell in love with her the moment he saw her because she was a difficult woman to resist.”
Quasar didn’t say anything as he started the car’s ignition. Deep down he hoped Randi realized what was between them was nothing more than a physical attraction, one that went deeper than most. He’d accepted that and intended to stoke the sexual chemistry between them as much as he could. He didn’t want her ever to question his motives, so it would be best to reiterate a few things, just to make sure they were on the same page.
“Falling in love is something I don’t intend ever to do again, Randi. I’m interested only in the physical aspect of a relationship.”
She nodded. “I get that. Which is why you being here now, chasing me across several states, doesn’t make sense.”
He had chased her. Across several states. “I told you why.”
“Yes, because you wanted to see me.”
Okay, that did sound kind of crazy and misleading. “The reason I wanted to see you is I’m deeply attracted to you...just like I know you’re deeply attracted to me.” When she didn’t deny it, he said, “All that sexual chemistry will eventually lead to one thing. I just don’t want you to expect something long-term out of it.” There, he’d spelled things out to her so there shouldn’t be any misunderstandings.
“I totally understand your position, Quasar,” she said, smiling brightly over at him. “And just for the record, I’m not interested in falling in love any more than you are.”
Randi’s words stayed on his mind during the drive back to the hotel. Did she have to seem so damn happy when she’d said them? He should be glad she had such an accepting attitude about what to expect and what not to expect. Then why was he feeling so damn annoyed?
“You don’t have to walk me to my hotel room, Quasar,” Randi said, interrupting his thoughts when they entered the lobby.
He hadn’t mentioned that he was staying at the same hotel and that his room was right next to hers. Now was a good time to tell her, but he knew that doing so would invite more questions. Questions he wasn’t ready to answer. When he saw her tomorrow, he would tell her.
“I wouldn’t be a gentleman if I didn’t see you to your room,” he said as they walked toward the bank of elevators.
When they stepped onto the elevator, he instinctively placed his hand in the middle of her back. Quasar eased them toward the rear, to their own private corner of the elevator, when other couples got on. “I enjoyed spending time with you tonight, Randi,” he said, deliberately keeping his voice low.
She smiled up at him. “And I with you.”
When the elevator reached their floor, they stepped off and walked side by side toward her room. He had taken hold of her hand in the elevator and hadn’t let go. “Chances are I’ll be extremely busy for the next few days,” she told him while taking the passkey from her purse.
He nodded. “And like I told you earlier, I don’t want to interfere with your work. But I hope you don’t intend to work twenty-four-hour days.”
She shook her head. “No, usually I don’t.”
“Good. Ideally you’ll have time to join me for dinner tomorrow. You have to eat sometime.”
When they reached her room, they stood outside the door. “How about breakfast in the morning?” he asked.
“Not sure I’ll have time. Agent Riviera will be picking me up at ten. I’ll probably grab one of those breakfast bars from the vending machines. What are your plans for tomorrow?”
“Not sure. I might call my family to let them know I’m here.” Why was it that the longer he looked at her, the more he regretted having to let her go into that room alone? Sleep in that big bed all by herself?
“I think that’s a good idea,” she said.
She would. He took a step closer to her. “Good night, Randi. Sweet fantasies,” he said cupping her nape. He then lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply yet tenderly, while wondering why he couldn’t get enough of her taste.
Moments later she pulled back from the kiss, drawing in a deep breath. “I’d better go inside. You, Quasar Patterson, can get a girl in trouble.”
He leaned in and rested his forehead against hers. He could swear he heard the sound of her erratic heartbeat. “What kind of trouble is that?”
“Trouble that I’m not ready for. And I got a sample of it tonight.”
“You shouldn’t be so damn passionate,” he growled near her ear.
“And you shouldn’t be so hot-blooded.” Then she quickly turned and swiped her passkey to open the door. “Good night.”
He continued to stand there until he heard the solid click of the lock. It was only then that he moved to go to his own room next door.
* * *
IN THE DEEP RECESSES of her sleep, Randi was reliving the first orgasm she’d had with a man in four years. And it had happened from a kiss. But what a kiss. When she’d told Quasar he was hot-blooded, she’d meant it. He had used his tongue in her mouth and made her come. Granted, he had touched her there, between her legs. But she’d been fully clothed.
Her hot fantasies spiraled from there. Yes, that’s what they were, and she had no problem accepting Quasar’s description of the over-the-top dreams she was having. The ones in which her imagination ran wild. They were naked. In a bed. He’d just finished kissing her into another orgasm and was moving his body lower to kiss her between her legs. She moaned in her sleep at the thought of what would come next...
Randi bolted upright in bed, suddenly awake. She squinted around the dark room, listening. She didn’t hear anything but was convinced she’d heard a sound in the living room area of her suite. Then she heard it again and knew for certain that someone was in her hotel room, moving in fluid, near-silent steps.
Hair rising on the back of her neck, she quietly eased out of bed on the side opposite the door and crouched low on the floor...and waited. She didn’t know who was out there, or how they had gotten inside her room, and she might not have a weapon, but she could defend herself.
After criminals attempted to kidnap Randi when she was eight to blackmail her father into dropping a high-profile case he’d taken, her parents enrolled Haywood and her in karate classes. Haywood had lasted only three years, but Randi had continued taking the classes all through her college years. Even now when she had th
e time, she joined her instructor, Hanshi Decatur, in sparring matches.
A rush of adrenaline sprinted through her veins and her shoulders tightened as she prepared for defense mode. Randi didn’t know why people were in her room, but she was determined to make sure they regretted invading her space. She held her breath when she heard the sound of her bedroom door opening. In the sliver of moonlight shining through the curtains, she could make out a figure silently moving toward the bed, evidently assuming she was in it. Did the person have a weapon? If so, what kind? That question was answered when she heard a gunshot through a silencer. The assassin had intended to kill her while she slept. Would the intruder assume the target had been hit and leave?
She saw that wasn’t going to happen when the person slowly inched toward the bed as if to verify the kill. Now was her chance, when the element of surprise was still on her side. Knowing timing was everything, she watched, waiting as the slow steps sounded on the carpet, moving closer to the bed. And when the time was right, she ejected her body from its crouch and attacked, making sure her first strike counted.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
WHAT THE HELL was that?
Quasar came awake with a start. Was that a crashing sound he heard next door in Randi’s room? No sooner had that question flashed through his mind than there was another crash. He jumped out of bed, quickly sliding into his jeans. Grabbing his Glock off the nightstand, he raced out of his hotel room, not bothering to put on his shoes.
Quasar immediately noticed Randi’s room door slightly ajar and entered as another crash sounded from her bedroom. With his gun drawn, he entered the room and flipped on the light switch in time to see Randi deliver a hard kick to the side of a man’s head. When brightness flooded the room, the man’s attention wavered, which ended up being a costly mistake. Randi took advantage and whirled her body seemingly in midair. She took aim, and her foot landed right in her attacker’s groin, with a swift second kick to his shoulder. A loud snap could be heard when the shoulder dislocated. It was then that she took aim again with her foot, in a hard blow to his face. The man let out a deep howl of pain before crumbling unconscious to the floor.
Seized by Seduction--A Compelling Tale of Romance, Love and Intrigue Page 13
