The Guy Next Door

by Lori Foster

  “Hello, Mr. Kendall. How’s Monica?” She spoke way too fast, but he didn’t seem to notice.

  “She’s wonderful. I’m still waiting for her to get married and give me some grandchildren, but she can’t seem to settle down.”

  Beth couldn’t imagine Monica as a mom. She’d always struck Beth as self-absorbed and manipulative, though she was also smart as hell. Still, if they hadn’t been suitemates in college, Beth would never have exchanged two words with the woman.

  “So, Beth, are you still running that unfortunate store? You’re one of the savviest young ladies I’ve ever met and it’s a shame that you’re involved with that place.”

  Oh, Jesus. Every time she’d seen Roland Kendall in the past few years he brought this up. She wished she could simply excuse herself, but what could she say? Sorry, I need to get upstairs to have sex with a man I hardly know. Nothing to do with my unfortunate store, though.

  Kendall raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer. “Well?” His tone suggested that she was answerable to him in some way.

  “Um. Still there, yes. Say, I heard you were talking to Donovan Brothers about beer for High West.”

  “Pardon me? How’d you hear that?”

  Oops. In her panic to change the subject, she’d latched on to the one thing she didn’t want to talk about. “Oh, you know. Small-town talk. But I hear the Donovan family is great.” Don’t say any more, her brain frantically ordered. Zip it.

  Kendall grunted. “I’m not convinced. I like their product, but the brewery’s been around for almost twenty-five years. I need a name that’s a little more fresh, I think.”

  Beth looked at the negativity written so clearly on his face. Roland Kendall was a successful businessman, but he worked from the gut and had rigid ideas about his businesses. Clearly, he wasn’t interested in giving Jamie Donovan a chance.

  It shouldn’t matter to her. She shouldn’t get involved. But Jamie was smart and good-hearted and she didn’t like to see him so easily dismissed. “I’ve met Jamie Donovan,” she blurted out, even as she tried to stop herself.

  “Oh?”

  “I was impressed. You should at least give them a chance. It’s a company run by young people, right? How stale could it be?”

  “Well—”

  “And it’s a beloved local company. That could be some great publicity.”

  “Hmm.” He crossed his arms and glared down at the floor.

  “Think about it, at least.”

  “I will.”

  “Well,” she prompted. “It was nice seeing you.”

  Thankfully, he’d already lost interest in her, and he simply waved a hand and walked away. Beth counted to ten then punched the button with her finger. The doors slid open and she jumped inside.

  She put Roland Kendall from her mind, but that left room for the anxiety she’d been feeling before. Oh, God, her brain repeated as the elevator rose. Oh, God, I’m really doing this. Was he waiting? Was he wondering where she was?

  When she stepped out, her heels clicked too loudly against the tile floor outside the elevator before they were muffled by the carpet of the hallway. A sign pointed her in the direction of room 421, and Beth forced herself not to slow as she turned down the hallway and headed closer to Jamie Donovan.

  What would happen when she got there? Would they just…start? My God, what if he was already undressed?

  Her toe scraped the carpet and Beth stumbled to a halt before forcing herself to walk on. No, he was not going to be standing there in black socks and what the Lord gave him. And if he was, she’d simply turn around and run, no question.

  But she had to assume everything would go well. If she didn’t go into this with a positive attitude, the night would turn out badly. She’d think too much. She’d worry that he wasn’t enjoying himself. Then she’d worry that she wasn’t enjoying herself, because she so desperately wanted to be the kind of woman who threw herself into sex and devoured every second of it. She wanted to be good in bed, for her own sake. She wanted to love it as much as she loved the idea of it.

  And Jamie had certainly proved that they worked well together. She had every reason to think happy thoughts.

  Beth forced herself to take a deep breath as she approached the next door: 421. The numbers were smaller than she’d expected. Innocuous. They didn’t loom or glow. They didn’t pulse with red menace.

  “Okay,” she whispered. Before she could lose her nerve, Beth straightened her dress, smoothed down her hair and knocked.

  He opened the door too fast and had to catch it before it slammed into the wall. The startled look on his face drew a shocked laugh from Beth. And the humor wasn’t the only thing that prompted relief to well up inside her. He was still fully clothed. And he was holding a tumbler of something bubbly.

  “Champagne?” he asked as she stepped past him.

  “Thank you!”

  “I’m sorry, there weren’t any wineglasses.”

  “No, this is perfect.” She took a grateful sip and then sipped again, faced with the horror that she didn’t know what else to say. The door closed hard behind her. They were standing alone together in a room with a dresser, a bed and not much else.

  Something swelled beneath her breastbone, pressing into her throat. Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t swallow. Heat rose up her neck.

  “There’s a beautiful view,” he said quietly, moving toward the window.

  A view. There was a beautiful view. The tightness in her chest loosened by small degrees as she realized she’d have a few moments to compose herself.

  His pants were still on, after all. He hadn’t jumped her. Hell, she was here to have sex with him, and Jamie was behaving with a lot more restraint than that asshole at the reception earlier.

  When he reached the window and turned toward her, a frown tugged his eyebrows low. And a realization hit her. Hard.

  Beth finally knew what her fantasy was. What buttons she’d always wanted pushed. All those years of wondering, hoping, waiting…and here it was in the stormy eyes of this man.

  She didn’t want to be the seductress. She didn’t want to be the experienced one. She wanted to be overwhelmed. Persuaded. Coaxed.

  No wonder she’d been such a failure at this. The men who asked her out were looking for a sexual savant. And deep in her heart, Beth wanted to be seduced.

  She was an old-school-feminist failure.

  He tilted his head, and the hard line of his mouth softened. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes!” she answered too brightly as she hurried the last few feet to join him.

  He slid the window open, and a cool, crisp breeze swept over them. The sky glowed violet behind the black silhouette of Longs Peak.

  “You’re right,” she whispered. “It is beautiful. It’s a gorgeous night.” Beyond the faint traffic, she could hear the occasional coo of mourning doves. The wind touched her again, licking over her skin like cool hands. She closed her eyes.

  “Beth,” he murmured. “If you’ve changed your mind…”

  She breathed in the scent of fresh leaves and icy water. “No.” Opening her eyes, she met his gaze. “No, I haven’t changed my mind.” She set her purse on the chair, and then Jamie took the glass from her hand and set it down on the sill.

  “Would it be an exaggeration if I said I’ve spent days thinking of kissing you?”

  Adrenaline shot through her. “I don’t know. Would it be?”

  “Two whole days. Almost. That counts…” His hand rose to frame her cheek. “Doesn’t it?”

  “Yes,” she whispered against his thumb as he touched it to her lower lip. “It does.”

  The nerves of her lips buzzed as if they were about to go numb, but Beth pushed thoughts of numbness away. She wanted to feel everything, and he was lowering his head, slowly, as if he didn’t want to startle her. As if she had to be eased into this.

  The thought tightened her clit and made her hands shake. His lips touched her as if she were fragile.
r />   Oh, God. Oh, God, yesss.

  He brushed his mouth against hers one more time, and then ever so gently caught her lower lip between his teeth.

  Perfect.

  Beth sighed against him and raised her hands to his shoulders to steady herself against the rush of sensation. His lips, his teeth, the slow slide of his hands up her back…

  What they’d done in the bar last night hadn’t made him less of a stranger, and alarm rushed through her brain as he eased closer. But this was the kind of alarm that had fed one-night stands for centuries. The kind of alarm that pushed your blood harder into pulse points and erogenous zones. The fear that made it feel as if every cell in your body was pulling toward your skin.

  When their tongues finally touched, he tasted of champagne, and Beth let the sweetness go to her head and overwhelm her worries.

  She tasted more deeply, aware that his fingers pressed into her hips when she sucked at his tongue. This wasn’t just a first kiss, after all. This was the prelude to illicit sex, and she didn’t want to forget that for one moment. So when he slanted his mouth over hers, Beth slid her fingers into his hair and clutched him tight.

  Yes, yes, yes, her mind sang as they pressed closer. His looks might easily have turned out to be the best thing about him, but they weren’t. Not by a long shot. He smelled good and he tasted better, and he didn’t grab her ass or get impatient. No, Jamie Donovan did everything with slow deliberation.

  He had experience, after all. He knew what he was doing.

  His tongue swept against hers. His hand slid lower on her hip, fingers spreading out until they edged along the swell of her ass. Then he eased his hips close enough that her belly pressed snug against his erection. Unlike some men she’d dated, he didn’t hump her like a ninth-grade boy at summer camp. Instead, he just held her there, deliberate and patient. Beth would’ve melted into a puddle if she hadn’t been so intent on staying right where she was.

  She didn’t know how long they kissed—one minute or twenty—but by the time he reached for the back of her strappy black dress, Beth nearly wept with relief.

  The biting sound of the zipper sang through the room. His knuckles brushed down her skin. Finally, just at the base of her spine, the zipper caught. She expected him to pull her dress off immediately, and when he didn’t, anticipation buzzed just under her skin, so sharp it was nearly pain. He trailed his fingers down her naked spine, and she gasped against his tongue, spiking coolness into their kiss. She was surrounded by him. His cock pressed to her belly, his arms warming her ribs. His hands teasing her back.

  He flattened his palm at the base of her spine, easing her even tighter into him. Heat spread through her like a craving, squeezing everything tight.

  She needed to draw more air into her lungs, so she slid her mouth from his, and Jamie kissed along her jaw until he reached her arching neck.

  A whimper snuck from her throat. In response to that soft sound, he growled. That low rumble told her everything she needed to know. He wanted her. He liked this. His hips pressed closer, and she rolled into his shaft in encouragement.

  He seemed encouraged. A shudder ran through him and he scraped his teeth over the curve of her shoulder.

  Urgency overtook her in a sudden wave. She clutched his hair in her fists, and when she guided his mouth back to hers, they kissed hard, like they were fucking already and vicious with it. Jamie gave up his campaign of slowness and pushed her dress down her body.

  Her nerves were sent conflicting signals. His hands held her hips in a hot grip, his suit brushed cool against her naked skin. She shivered at the delicious sensation, but she wanted his heat all over, so Beth pushed his coat off his shoulders. He had to let her go to drop the coat, and when he took a step back and his gaze dropped…

  His body froze. The coat fell to the floor.

  He looked stunned as his gaze swept down her body. Appreciative, certainly, but dumbstruck, as well. His hungry shock gave her just the courage she needed to stand tall and let him look his fill. She knew the pale silk flattered her olive-toned skin. She knew her dark nipples pressed visibly against the thin bra. Her nipples beaded more tightly under his attention.

  By the time his gaze worked its slow way back to her face, Beth’s cheeks felt flushed with pink arousal.

  Slowly, he slid his hand behind her neck and lifted her face for one more kiss. “You’re breathtaking, Beth. Way past beautiful.”

  Tonight, she was. She could feel it in the way his other hand shaped her waist before sliding down the curve of her hip. Tonight she was a woman who wore red heels and stockings and worked every inch of the outfit.

  He nudged her toward the bed and she backed up. It wasn’t until her legs touched the mattress that Beth realized how weak her knees were. She lowered herself slowly as he reached for his tie. He pulled the silk knot free and slid the tie off. Five seconds later, his shirt was off, as well.

  She wanted to ask for more time to look over his wide chest, but he was leaning over her, and Beth lay back hoping he’d follow. He did. Finally, the heat she’d been chasing all night slammed through her. Stomach to stomach. Chest to chest. Mouth to mouth.

  Starving, she dug her nails into his back.

  She needed this. Now.

  She was panting by the time he reached for the front clasp of her bra. She arched into his touch as the fabric slid free, exposing her breasts.

  “Oh, God,” she gasped as he bent his head and drew her nipple hard against his tongue. Pleasure shot through her, trailing through her belly. Her clit tightened, already so hard she could feel her pulse beating there.

  When he scraped his teeth over her, Beth wanted to squeeze her eyes shut and feel everything as deeply as she could, but that desire warred with the need to watch. So she tipped her head up and watched as he licked at the dark, tight bud. When he dragged his teeth over her again, goose bumps exploded across her skin. Her nipple glistened with wetness when he lifted his head and turned his attention to the other breast. Again, he sent painful need spiraling through her.

  When he glanced up at her, the irises of his eyes were shockingly pale, like icy silver, as if he got cooler with passion, rather than hot. He slowly sucked her nipple between his teeth as he watched her. And when he pressed his hips tight to hers, she came so close to an orgasm that she threw her head back with a cry.

  “Oh, God,” she gasped. “Now. Please, Jamie. Now.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  ERIC SURGED UP, SO DAMN startled by hearing his brother’s name that he nearly leaped from the bed. Beth cried out again, rolling her hips against his.

  The pressure against his cock warred with his guilt. Jesus, what if she screamed Jamie’s name as she came? He’d have nightmares about that for years. And it was wrong. It was immoral and dishonest and… Beth arched her back, and her nipples were tight, wet buds, flushed a deep red from his rough attention. His attentions, wrong name or not.

  When he rose from the bed, it wasn’t to walk away from her. It was to reach for his belt buckle. He’d deal with the guilt later.

  Once he’d stripped, Beth eyed him with such greedy lust that he convinced himself that names didn’t matter. She wanted him. And he’d never needed a woman more than he needed her.

  She eased farther onto the bed. Eric took her heels off before sliding both hands up the warm silk of her stockings. Should he strip her bare? She looked amazing in lingerie, but the idea of seeing her totally naked made his heart pound even harder.

  He feathered his thumbs over the naked skin of her thighs, still trying to formulate a plan. But it was so damn hard to think. And then Beth reached for the little ribbons on the sides of her panties. She pulled the ties loose, the fabric slid free, and Eric couldn’t think anymore.

  He’d imagined her the night before. He’d wondered if she might be waxed nearly bare or pierced or…hell, she might’ve been on the cutting edge with some sort of adornment he’d never suspect. But she was a simple beauty. Dark curls and wet sex, and Jesu
s, he thought he might die of hot pleasure as he slipped his fingers along the seam of her body.

  She cried out at that small touch, pushing her toes into the mattress, arching up. God, she was perfect, plump heat beneath his fingers. He rubbed her own wetness along her, circling her clit as she sobbed.

  Eric’s cock throbbed, telling him she was ready, ready, ready. And she was. Before he could explore further, Beth was twisting around, reaching toward the side table where he’d tossed the condoms. He should help her. Be a gentleman and get the protection himself, but his body was beyond his control now. She’d turned over onto her stomach and her spectacular ass was laid out before him.

  Good God, her body was a fantasy of smooth skin and round hips and tight muscle. He reached for her, helpless to stop from smoothing his hands down the perfect globes of her ass. He curved his hand over one glorious hip and eased his other hand between her legs. When he sunk two fingers deep into her pussy, Beth gasped and lifted her hips to take him deeper. Her slick folds and tight muscles squeezed against him as he slowly pushed his fingers into her.

  She rose to her knees, breathing, “Oh, God,” over and over again.

  He wanted his cock inside her as she prayed, and apparently she felt the same, because she thrust her arm back and pressed a condom into his hand.

  As he slid it on, Beth raised both her hands to the top of the headboard and eased her knees farther apart.

  She wanted it like this. Just like this. Nothing romantic or soft about it. His hands nearly shook with the violence of his need as he pressed his palm flat to the small of her back.

  Silence stretched between them. They both held their breath. Then he took his cock in hand and slid it along the folds of her sex, rubbing her wetness along her until she squirmed. Finally, his head notched against her, and he pushed inside.

  “Ah,” she breathed, her hands gripping the headboard tighter. “Ah, God.” He eased farther in, watching his shaft push slowly into her body. He’d never felt anything so hot or so tight. Nothing. His muscles had never shaken with the need to set all control aside and simply take.