Then what? Tell Taylor everything during the afterglow, or wait for Steven to finish his investigation and do the job for her? Neither option sounded particularly appetizing.
While Taylor waited for her to complete her transaction, Robby looked around the room. Steven, her usual tormentor, only had eyes for Miles, and the rest of the guests were either mingling or checking out the featured items. A man in a dark blue suit and mirrored sunglasses was standing near a display of English bone china. His head slowly swiveled from side to side as guests passed in and out of his line of sight, but he always ended up facing her direction.
“Who’s he?” she asked after she was done with her customer.
“Special Agent Ethan Moss. He’s with me.”
“So he’s watching you, not me. Why haven’t I seen him before?”
“Don’t you remember him from the game?”
“No, but most guys with crew cuts look alike to me.” Robby relaxed, but only a little. She had a feeling Ethan Moss had that effect on everyone. Was it his rigid posture that put her on edge or the sunglasses that allowed him to see out but no one to see in? “He acts more animatronic than human. When he talks, I bet he sounds like the computerized voice that came with my answering machine.”
“I’ll tell him you said so.”
Taylor turned as if she meant to head in Ethan’s direction, but Robby called her back. “Taylor, wait. Don’t you dare say anything to him.”
“Why not?” Taylor asked with a teasing smile.
“Steven could probably snap me in half with two fingers, but I’d rather take my chances with him than Mr. Roboto over there.”
“Have you been avoiding me tonight?” Taylor asked after a moment’s pause. “Every time I tried to find my way over to you, you went the other direction.”
Robby indicated the customers milling about the store. “In case you haven’t noticed, Miles and I are a little busy tonight.”
Taylor flinched as if the remark hurt. Robby wasn’t trying to pick a fight, but perhaps she should. If she sent Taylor packing, maybe she could cut her losses before she crapped out completely.
“How was brunch?” she asked after she answered a customer’s question about a daguerreotype reputed to have been taken by famed Civil War photographer Matthew Brady.
“Sheridan gave me a great deal to think about.”
“I figured as much.”
“Because?”
“This is the first time I’ve heard from you all day. No call. No text. Nothing but radio silence. Then, like magic, you show up out of the blue acting like it’s no big deal you spent the afternoon talking about me with my ex.”
“I didn’t call because I didn’t know what to say. And if you had an issue with me having brunch with Sheridan, I wish you would have said so before now.”
“It wouldn’t have stopped you from meeting her, would it?”
Taylor looked over her shoulder as if she was trying to make sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. “Can we go somewhere and talk? Privately, I mean.”
Robby wanted nothing more. She wanted to pull Taylor aside and tell her everything, but it was too late. She had missed her chance. She’d known it the moment Candy Ferrell walked into the shop that afternoon. Now she needed to do what was best for Taylor even if it might not be what was best for her. She needed to convince Taylor to leave because she knew she didn’t have the strength to walk away.
“You don’t have to go behind closed doors in order to let me down easy,” she said. “Whatever it is you want to get off your chest, you can say it right here.”
“Okay.” Taylor set her glass on the counter and leaned forward. Robby fought the urge to mirror her movement. “Sheridan had a great deal to say, but the whole time she was talking, one thought kept running through my mind over and over again on an endless loop.”
“What?”
Invading the small space reserved for employees, Taylor came around the counter. “I want to kiss you so badly it hurts.”
Robby curled her thumb under Taylor’s belt buckle, slipped her other fingers inside the top of her jeans, and tugged. Taylor gasped when Robby’s knuckles grazed her stomach. Robby could feel the muscles tighten. See Taylor’s eyes go wide. Hear her breath quicken.
Desire swelled in Robby like a flood-ravaged river. She tried not to get swept away by the tide. If she did, they both could drown. “Steven might not care, but I don’t think Mr. Roboto would approve.”
“Then it’s a good thing I don’t want or need his approval.”
Taylor put her hands on Robby’s waist and pulled her closer. Their bodies touched from head to toe. Robby was amazed by how naturally they fit together. She could feel the stiff points of Taylor’s nipples through her clothes. She wanted to roll the hard knots between her fingers, worship them with her tongue. Taylor buried her face in Robby’s hair. Her lips brushed the side of her neck. Taylor’s breath against her skin was as gentle as a caress. Suddenly, nothing and no one else mattered. No one except Taylor. Nothing except feeling her long, lean body naked and moving against hers.
“Do you think Steven would be willing to cover for me?” she asked.
“I’m sure he’d do it if I asked him to.”
Robby hesitated. She wanted to take full responsibility for everything she had done. She wanted to reveal all the lies she had told and the secrets she had kept. She wanted to do the right thing, but she wanted Taylor more.
“Ask him.”
Chapter Seventeen
After Robby brought Steven up to speed on manning the cash register, Taylor followed her to her apartment. Robby was the toreador, she was the rampaging bull, and Robby’s short plaid skirt was the red cape being waved before her.
She positioned Ethan at the foot of the narrow staircase. She had a good idea what was about to happen, and she didn’t want to be overheard. Dozens of people had seen her leaving the party with Robby, but she didn’t care. Robby had captured her attention like no one else. She dominated her thoughts, monopolized her dreams. She had to have her. Here and now. She’d deal with the repercussions later. Her parents could lecture her for hours on end if they wanted, and she wouldn’t try to mount a defense. She didn’t care what happened tomorrow as long as she was able to make love to Robby Rawlins tonight.
When Robby opened the apartment door, Orson trotted over to greet them. He circled Robby’s legs, then rubbed himself against Taylor’s. He purred loudly when Taylor bent and ran a hand across his fur. “Do you remember me?”
“He remembers everyone who rubs him the right way,” Robby said. “I guess he gets that from me.”
Taylor slid her palms over Robby’s thigh-high boots. Robby trembled when Taylor’s fingers left the patent leather and found her skin. “Are you going to remember me when the evening’s over?”
Robby slowly licked her lips. “I don’t think I’m ever going to forget you.”
Taylor held Robby’s face in her hands and gently kissed her lips. “Nor I you.”
Robby took Taylor’s hand and led her to her bedroom. An inviting white silk comforter covered the standard sized bed, giving the room the look and feel of an upscale hotel. A mirrored Venetian-style nightstand and matching chest of drawers filled the cramped space. A door led to what Taylor assumed was the closet that housed Robby’s endless supply of alluring outfits.
Robby lit a pair of citrus-scented candles and turned off the lights. “‘Welcome to my parlor,’ said the spider to the fly.” Her shadow danced on the dark chocolate-colored walls as she walked toward Taylor.
“In this relationship, I’m not sure who’s predator and who’s prey.”
Robby pulled Taylor’s sweater over her head and dropped it on the floor. “Why don’t we take turns?”
“In that case, I’ll go first.”
Taylor easily lifted Robby into her arms. Robby wrapped her legs around Taylor’s waist as Taylor carried her to the bed. Taylor gently laid her down and knelt between Robby’s sp
read legs. She pulled off her tie, unbuttoned her shirt, and shrugged it off. Robby allowed her hands to roam over Taylor’s bare torso, nearly distracting her from the task at hand—making Robby come.
She reached down and unzipped Robby’s shiny black boots. One hit the floor first, followed soon after by the other. She slowly rolled Robby’s over-the-knee socks down and pulled them off. Then her tongue painted a wet swath up Robby’s right leg while her fingers slid up her left.
Robby writhed beneath her. Her hips bucked when Taylor reached under her skirt and grasped her thong underwear with both hands.
“Touch me,” Robby said breathlessly.
“Soon.”
Taylor slid Robby’s underwear off and unzipped her skirt. Then she pulled her into a seated position and kissed her hungrily while she unbuttoned her starched white blouse. Robby gasped when she broke the kiss.
“Soon,” she said again.
She pushed the blouse off Robby’s shoulders. Robby’s gray-and-black bra matched the silk-and-lace thong littering the floor. Taylor unclasped the bra and tossed it over her shoulder. When Robby lay naked before her, Taylor was awestruck by her beauty.
“You take my breath away.”
Robby reached for her, and Taylor covered her body with her own. She kissed Robby’s forehead, her eyelids, her cheeks. She kissed the corners of her mouth, then her lips. When she flicked the tip of her tongue against one of Robby’s erect nipples, Robby arched her back and cried out, her hands clawing the sheets.
Taylor licked the valley between Robby’s breasts. Robby buried her hands in her hair, holding her in place. As if there were anywhere else she would rather be. She kneaded Robby’s full breasts, enjoying the feel of them in her hands, the taste of them in her mouth.
“Touch me.”
Hearing the sense of urgency in Robby’s voice, Taylor granted her wish. She reached down and slid her hand across Robby’s stomach until she reached her center. Her fingers were coated with the evidence of Robby’s arousal long before she slipped them between her folds and stroked her rock-hard clit.
Robby groaned deep in her throat. The guttural sound made Taylor hunger for more. She replaced her fingers with her mouth. She licked Robby’s clit. Slowly at first, then faster and faster until Robby’s keening cries reached a crescendo.
Chest heaving, a fine sheen of sweat covering her voluptuous body, Robby demanded more. “In the nightstand. There’s a harness. Put it on.”
* * *
Taylor sat on the bed, her back pressed against the padded headboard. A black leather harness circled her slim hips. Robby straddled Taylor’s lap and slowly lowered herself onto the upraised dildo. Taylor’s hands clamped around her hips, guiding her onto the latex shaft. Robby groaned when Taylor began to thrust inside her.
“I’ve wanted you to take me like this since the day you walked into the store.” Robby threaded her fingers through Taylor’s close-cropped hair. “I wanted to feel you inside me. I wanted to feel your power. I wanted to feel your strength flowing into me.”
Taylor moaned, her head lolling against Robby’s shoulder. Robby was normally on the receiving end of the dildo and harness, but she had been on the giving end often enough to know what Taylor was feeling. Each time they thrust their hips, the base of the dildo pressed against Taylor’s clit, allowing Taylor to reap as much pleasure as she sowed.
Robby arched her back. She was close to the edge again. She wanted Taylor to fall over the precipice with her.
Her face twisted into a rictus of pleasure, Taylor braced her hands on the firm mattress. Her hips thrust so forcefully she lifted herself off the bed. Robby wrapped her arms around Taylor’s neck.
“You feel so good. Don’t stop. Don’t—” Robby squeezed her eyes shut as her body began to come apart at the seams.
“Open your eyes,” Taylor said. “Don’t hide from me, Robby. Not now.”
Robby bit her lip. Taylor’s eyes looked deep into hers. She felt as if Taylor could see into her soul. She had never felt such a powerful connection with someone. She didn’t want to lose it. Or Taylor. But how could she possibly hold on to both? Tears welled in her eyes as she came with a cry that emanated from deep within her.
Taylor shivered but couldn’t find release. Robby wanted—needed—her to achieve it. “Tell me what you want.”
Taylor guided Robby’s hands to her breasts. “Pinch them.”
Robby rolled Taylor’s nipples between her fingers and squeezed.
“Yes,” Taylor hissed, raw hunger on her face and in her voice. “Yes.”
Robby flicked her tongue at one of Taylor’s reddened nipples and Taylor exploded, her face splotched with color and her mouth open in a silent scream. Robby had never seen anything or anyone so beautiful. She pulled Taylor’s quivering body into her arms and held her close until the tremors subsided. Then she smoothed Taylor’s tousled hair.
“Stay with me.” The words were out of her mouth before she knew she intended to say them. Once they were out, she didn’t want to take them back. She wanted to say them again.
“Are you sure?” Taylor asked.
“Yes.” Robby held her tighter. “Stay with me tonight.”
Because tomorrow, neither of their lives would be the same again.
Chapter Eighteen
Taylor would have to get up ridiculously early the next day to return to the White House, shower, change, and make it to class on time, but being able to go to sleep with Robby in her arms and wake up with her in the same position was worth the sacrifice.
Ethan had a wife and two young kids to get home to so he didn’t usually work the overnight shift. Lily took over when Ethan headed home. She stood guard while Steven—and Miles—prepared to crash on the couch. “Enjoy your sleepover.”
Lily most likely meant her comment to be a joke, but Steven obviously didn’t see the humor in it. “If I catch you napping on duty, I’ll be doing a hell of a lot more than freezing your underwear,” he said sternly.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let you down.”
Taylor knew Lily was as good as her word. Not only was she one of the bravest women Taylor had ever met, she was incredibly dedicated to her job. She would be able to rest easy tonight knowing Lily had been tasked with keeping her—and everyone else—safe.
The ottoman in the living room provided storage as well as comfort. Robby flipped open the lid, pulled out a heavy knitted throw, and tossed it to Steven. “That should be about your size, though I doubt it’s large enough for two.”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine.” Miles jerked his head toward the bedroom, indicating he wanted Robby and Taylor to leave him and Steven alone.
“I guess I’ll be hitting the hay.” Robby stretched and let out an exaggerated yawn.
Taylor tried not to smile. Clearly Sheridan had grossly overestimated Robby’s acting abilities. Robby was as genuine as they came. And she was all hers. Well, not quite, but she intended to plead her case as often as possible until her wish came true.
As Lily headed to the kitchen to make herself a strong pot of coffee, she spoke into the two-way transmitter wedged into her ear. “Eaglet is down for the night. Peterson out.”
“Eaglet?” Robby asked after she and Taylor climbed into bed.
Taylor, dressed in a borrowed pair of Betty Boop-print pajamas, pulled the comforter over her legs. “My father’s code name is Eagle and my mother chose Eagless, so it made sense for me to become Eaglet.”
“I was expecting something edgier like Rogue or Rebel.”
“I like to keep you guessing.”
“I’ve noticed. Is that why you had brunch with Sheridan? To keep me guessing?”
“No.”
“Then why did you meet with her?”
“Short answer, she invited me. Long answer, I wanted to hear what she had to say.”
“And now that you’ve heard what she has to say, what happens next?”
Taylor wrapped her body around Robby’s and rested her cheek again
st Robby’s shining black hair. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
“What did Sheridan say?”
Taylor had been waiting for Robby to ask that question. Now that she had, she chose to answer it as honestly as possible. She tugged on Robby’s shoulder until she turned to face her.
“Sheridan is one of several seemingly reliable people who have told me I shouldn’t trust you. My gut is telling me I can. I need you to tell me who I’m supposed to believe. If you tell me I can trust you, whatever Sheridan or anyone else says won’t matter.”
Robby opened her mouth to say something, then she closed it again and looked away, her expression troubled.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s something I should tell you,” Robby said. “Something you need to know.”
“What?” Taylor asked with a rising sense of dread. Whatever Robby said next could make or break them.
“I snore in my sleep. I hope that won’t be a problem for you.”
Taylor couldn’t hide her relief. “Definitely not. Because I wasn’t planning on getting much sleep.”
“My sentiments exactly.”
Robby pushed Taylor onto her back and raised her hands over her head. She reached for Taylor’s discarded tie and began to bind her wrists. Taylor resisted, her heart racing in alarm.
“What are you doing?”
Robby looked down at her, her dark eyes unreadable. “Do you trust me?”
Taylor didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“Then lay back and enjoy the ride.”
By the time the ride was over, Taylor was certain of two things: Robby Rawlins was the most amazing lover she’d ever had, and ties were now her favorite fashion accessory.
True Colors Page 15
