It was the first time Tim had ever been kicked out of a woman’s house. Standing on the sidewalk, he looked up at the closed door. Normally he snuck out while they slept, or promised them he’d call and, of course, he never did, because after all, he’d end up being hooked.
Shit, he’d never been kicked out of a woman’s house before in his entire, sex-driven, playboy life! He’d sure as hell never lost his libido while starting to make out with a woman while hell bent on getting himself inside her, but what do you know, it was a night of firsts.
And he knew just who to thank for this first very unwelcome development. Cindy bloody Lawson.
Scowling, he took his mobile phone from his pocket, hit speed dial and ordered a taxi to take him home.
He’d had enough of women for one night.
Chapter Four
Cindy was developing a new respect and understanding of mothers with newborn babies. Standing in the kitchen at two in the morning, heating up Al’s bottle, she yawned widely.
Al squealed as she toileted him and then bumped his little nose against the corner of her mouth, just as he’d have done if she’d been his real mother. Well, heck, to Al she was his mother. Cindy fed him, toileted him, cuddled him, and kept him warm, loved and safe.
At two in the morning, three days after she’d acquired him, Cindy still loved him. She was just very tired. Really tired. Every hour on the hour was wearing her down, but good ol’ Sam had volunteered his care of Al and let her have a couple of hours sleep during the day while he babysat. Her mother came over and babysat a couple of times, utterly delighting in her ‘grandson’ as she laughingly called him.
The good thing about working for her family and being rich, was that Cindy could take off all the time she needed and still get paid. That allowed her time to rest and it didn’t matter that she had bags under her eyes big enough to rival the biggest suitcases in the world.
She wouldn’t have traded those bags in for anything. She loved Al, and though she was so tired she could just about fall to her knees, she wouldn’t have traded the last three days for the world.
Placing him down in his carrier, she listened to him squeal his indignation and hunger with a smile while she took the bottle from the microwave and checked the temperature. Becoming an expert by now, she nodded her satisfaction, picked Al up in one hand and held the bottle to his mouth with the other.
Al latched on to the bottle, tiny paws clawing at the mouth of the bottle before he settled to sucking, stretching his little arms out ahead of him.
He was so cute. His little eyes shut tight, his little snub nose just so snubby. Cindy sighed in contentment. This little fellow was just what she’d needed, someone to love and care about, and someone with whom to share her life. Until he’d come along, she hadn’t known just how much she missed having company at night. How much she missed having her old cat.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t the kind of company she knew her mother wanted her to have at night, but it didn’t matter. Al was hers to love and cherish, he was non-judgemental, and he just wanted to be loved and cherished in return.
He was also very demanding in his own little way.
“Just like a man,” she murmured, giggling a little and giving him a kiss on top of his little head.
By the time she’d fed and settled him again and set the alarm, she was almost asleep herself. It seemed as though she’d just shut her eyes when the alarm sounded again.
Peeking wearily over the edge of the bed, she saw that Al was sleeping peacefully in his warm carrier. Remembering what Tim had said about lengthening the time to two hourly feeds as Al improved, she decided to set the alarm for another hour. Settling back, she only dozed, partly awake and listening for Al to cry.
When the alarm went off for the second time, Al was stirring. Going through the whole regime of feeding, toileting, cuddling and settling down, she set the alarm for another two hours time and Al slept right up until the alarm went off again.
Feeling a little brighter, Cindy kept the feeding regime to two hourly during the day, and seeing that Al was suffering no ill effects and was still content, she punched her fist in the air and did a silent jig of joy. Yes! Her baby was sleeping for two hours at a time, and so could she!
“Ah, the joys of motherhood,” Sam said dryly, coming through the door to peek into the carrier on the kitchen bench.
“Sam, he’s sleeping for two hours at a time.” Grabbing an orange, Cindy sat down at the table and peeled it.
“What have I told you about putting the cat carrier on my bench?”
“Don’t do it.”
“So why is it on my bench?”
“Because I did it.” Breaking the orange into pieces, she offered Sam a piece.
“You still look tired.” He bit into it.
“I’ve gone from hourly to two hourly sleeps. It’s a breakthrough.”
“Huh. You could benefit from some more, though.” Sam peeked into the basket, just able to see Al’s tail sticking out from under the fluffy sheet. “Want me to baby sit this thing so you can get some more sleep?”
“Aw, you’re so good to me.” Cindy grinned, knowing full well he was fond of the kitten. “Don’t you have stuff to do today?”
“I have stuff to do everyday. I can do it while keeping an eye on Al.”
Hopping up, Cindy gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Sam. You’re the best.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
“His bottles are soaking, there’s a clean one in the cupboard along with a clean teat and his formula, and-”
“I know, I know.” Sam flapped his hand at her. “Just go and get some sleep. You’re looking scary with those dark circles under your eyes.”
“Call me if there’s a problem.” Cindy took a last look at Al before leaving the kitchen.
Oh yeah, she was tired all right. Flopping face down on the bed, she fell asleep almost instantly and slept dreamlessly. When she finally awoke, it was six hours later and she rolled off the bed sluggishly.
“Sam?” she called down the stairs.
He stuck his head around the corner of the kitchen door. “What?”
“I’ve slept for ages.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
“Ha ha. How’s Al?”
“Your Mum came and took a shift with him and I tell you, she can’t stop nursing the damned thing. Ruth fed him the second time, all cooing and clucking and being altogether soppy. Good thing I’m here to stop him being spoiled. I fed him the third time, no nonsense, and he settled down right away afterwards. He’s still asleep and not due for a feed for another twenty minutes.”
“Goodo. I’ve time for a shower then. Thanks Sam.”
Taking her time in the shower, Cindy washed her hair and leaned against the wall, letting the water slip over her shoulders and down, washing away the fragrant soap suds.
She couldn’t believe how content she felt knowing she was bringing up the orphaned kitten. Okay, it might be small and a lot of people did it, but it gave her a sense of fulfilment. Of purpose. Goodness knew, she hadn’t had a real sense of purpose for a long time. Apart from working for the family business, of course.
By the time she’d dressed in a plain white t-shirt and a flowing skirt that reached her calves and had a split up each side to above her knees, she felt a lot more awake than she had for awhile. Almost bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, in fact.
Slipping on a pair of white, high-heeled sandals and a last spritz of perfume, she left her hair hanging loose and went down the stairs. By the time she got to the bottom, she heard Al meowing.
Sam was warming his bottle as she entered the kitchen.
“His Highness is awake,” Sam told her needlessly.
“So I hear.” Opening the top of the carrier, Cindy scooped Al out. “Hello, baby.”
He bunted along her chin eagerly.
“As long as you don’t start licking him, I can take the ‘baby’ crap.” Sam handed her a warm, damp cloth.
Cindy laughed and started wiping Al. By the time she was ready to feed him, Sam was picking up his car keys and Ruth was waiting at the door.
“We’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Ruth said, her face softening slightly as she glanced at Al.
“No worries.” Cindy smiled at them both. “Thank you for babysitting Al.”
“No worries.” Sam echoed her words as he went out the door and shut it behind him.
Within seconds she was alone with Al. When he finished his bottle, she picked up his carrier and took it into the lounge. Sitting in an armchair, she laid Al on her lap and gently rubbed his back with one finger and wiped him carefully with a clean, warm, damp cloth. Finished cleaning him, she picked him up and nuzzled him, delighting in the tiny, sputtering purr that came from his tiny body.
It wasn’t long before Al started to fall asleep, and she carefully placed him back in his carrier on the fluffy sheet that lay over the heat pad, and covered him up a little with a piece of the sheet. With Al unable to sleep in a kitty pile for warmth, she had to ensure he stayed warm.
Placing him on the coffee table, she went back out into the kitchen, flicking on the radio as she did so. Finding nothing but sports on it, she slid in a CD and turned it up a little as the first song rocked out. It had her toes tapping. She did miss going out and dancing, but not as much as she’d have missed caring for Al. After all, she could dance as easily here as she could in a club.
Pouring a glass of berry juice, she did a few steps on the spot, then with a grin she spun on the spot and started to dance, pausing only now and then to sip from the glass.
With no one around to see her, she could do as she liked.
The song ended and another up-beat song started. Grabbing the broom in the corner, she held onto it as she shimmied and spun, using the broom as a substitute partner. It wasn’t much, but who cared? She was having fun.
Downing the last of the juice, she spun, placed the glass on the sink and spun around again, only to shriek in shock as she found herself face to face with Tim.
He plucked the broom from her hand, slid one arm around her waist, took her other hand in his and pulled her in close. Arching his brow, he asked, “May I cut in?”
“Tim?” Her heart beat fast. “What are you doing here? How did you get in?”
“I knocked on the front door and when there was no answer, I came around the back.” His eyes twinkled. “And what did I see? A luscious babe dancing all by herself. That’s a crime.”
The warmth of his body seeped through her t-shirt and she smiled up at him in amusement. “My hero, come to rescue poor little lonely me.”
“A hero, that’s me.” And with that, Tim swept her into a fast moving dance that had her laughing.
He spun her around, snatched her close, spun her out again and danced with a dexterity to match her own. They moved fast to the beat, finding a natural rhythm in each other’s movements that had them both breathless and laughing out loud.
Around the kitchen they went, moving close and apart, grabbing a hand, then releasing it, going through two more upbeat songs before a slow song started playing.
Tim drew her into his arms and she leaned against him as they both laughed and panted, catching their breaths even as they continued to move slowly around the kitchen.
“Great dancer,” Cindy said.
“Great partner,” he replied.
“Great music.”
“Great day.”
“It’s not bad,” she agreed, resting her cheek on his shoulder as they moved lazily around in circles. “Where did you learn to dance?”
“Let’s just say mother didn’t want me to embarrass her in front of her friends at parties.”
“She isn’t into boogying.”
“Nope.”
Closing her eyes, she relaxed against him.
They moved slowly and as her breathing evened out, she felt a slight change in the atmosphere, a sudden awareness of the man holding her, a realisation of whom she was resting against, and there was a definite hardening against her belly that made her eyes open.
That erection wasn’t anything to do with her anatomy.
Lifting her head, she looked up to find Tim gazing down at her with hot intensity, the light brown of his eyes darkening with desire.
He stopped moving and her skirt swayed against their legs before growing still as they looked at each other.
“Tim,” she began a little tremulously, unsure of what she was seeing, not quite able to believe that Tim Clarke, playboy vet, was actually attracted to her.
She just wasn’t the sort of woman he pursued.
At least, that’s what she’d thought before he started looking at her with desire in his eyes and absolute proof pressed against her belly.
A nervous lick of her lips had his gaze zeroing in on her mouth, and he lowered his head.
All Cindy could do was stare up at him as he came closer…and closer…and then he was there, his lashes sweeping down to cover the heat of his eyes, but there was no doubting the heat of his kiss.
He took her, plain and simple, his lips on hers, his tongue tracing the seam of her lips in an undeniable demand to allow him entrance.
All she could do was open to him, and immediately he dominated her, his tongue sweeping in to plunder the depths, his hands at her waist and shoulders holding her so close that they were pressed together from chest to knees.
And then just when she thought he couldn’t be any more masterful, his hand at her shoulder tangled in her hair and he angled her head expertly, smoothly, firmly without hurting her, positioning her so he could take total advantage of her mouth.
He plundered her mouth like a pirate of old, taking over, complete control.
Making her knees so damned weak all she could do was grab onto his shirt and hold on.
Sweet God have mercy, she’d never been kissed like this before, and she’d had quite a few kisses in the past. But no man had ever taken such total control while ensuring she had as much pleasure as he was taking.
Tim did like kissing and he did it expertly, tasting her, licking deep, taking her essence without mercy and leaving her gasping for more.
She wasn’t even aware that he’d backed her across the room until her bottom hit the table behind her. It partly brought her to her senses, but before she could get a grasp on her swimming senses, one of his hands was on her bottom, his palm spanning one buttock, and in several skilled moves, he had her skirt up around her waist and his palm sliding under the waistband of her panties. The calloused skin on his palm was flat against her derriere, and all she could do was press closer as his hand print seemed to burn into her suddenly highly sensitized flesh.
Her nipples pebbled, pressing against his chest, and she couldn’t help but hook one leg around his, tilting her pelvis so that she could feel his hard thigh slide between her softer, rounder ones.
“Oh yeah, luscious babe,” he murmured, rubbing his thigh against her intimate heat. “You feel so good.”
Her blood seemed to bubble with erotic heat, burning through her and spreading a tingle from his palm on her bottom through to her feminine secrets. She could feel herself getting damp, invisible strings plucking deep inside her as his other hand released her hair and came around to cup her throat, his thumb under her chin tilting her head back as he released her mouth so that he could look down into her eyes.
Pure, unbridled passion darkened his cheeks, making his eyes glitter almost hedonistically, and in that second he had the stamp of a man determined to have the object of his desire.
Her.
Panting a little, she could only close her eyes in anticipation as he lowered his head again, his lips feathering lightly against the corner of her mouth, but when she turned her head, blindly seeking his mouth and its hot, damp secrets, he chuckled darkly and evaded her.
No sooner had she opened her eyes to moan her disappointment than she could only bite her lip as his mouth, that dark, magic, wicked mouth,
found her pulse and pressed a kiss there before he laved it roughly with his tongue, working the skin, pressing the flat of his tongue against the pulse and whirling the roughness against her skin.
And then he fastened his mouth on her and sucked, shooting flames of liquid heat to the apex of her thighs.
With his mouth at her throat and his hard thigh pressed against her, all hardness against sensitivity, she could only press closer, trying to wriggle, and then she nearly exploded when his other hand slid beneath the waistband of her panties, unerringly gliding through the curls that protected her secrets and beyond, over her mound and down, those long, skilled fingers trailing a burning path between her sheltering labia and downward, ever downward, wickedly brushing her clitoris, pushing against it and making her arch up and whimper before they moved onward relentlessly, slipping through damp folds and further, further, and then he was there, one finger pushing at the entrance to her body before sliding unerringly into her sheath.
She nearly fell apart then and there. Her blood rushed through her, roaring in her ears, tingling with fire that licked through her body as he played her.
Dimly she felt him leave her throat and then his mouth claimed hers again. He took her mouth as his finger thrust deep and withdrew before pushing deep again. And then he turned his hand, hooking his finger and dragging backwards, and she almost exploded then and there.
Caught up in prurience, she dimly felt his finger leave her, and even as she whimpered her desperation she felt his hands at her waist, heard his voice hot at her ear giving instructions she couldn’t remember but obeyed.
A little hop on her part, his hands at her waist lifting at the same time, and then she was sitting on the edge of the table. She didn’t know where her panties had gone, all she knew was that Tim was between her spread thighs, his eyes hot as he looked down at her, and her arms were wrapped around his neck.
Vet's Desire Page 8
