“You are such a bad idea for me,” she muttered breathlessly.
He nodded. “Mmm-hmm, you’re right, I am.”
She bit at her lower lip as his mouth found hers again. The kiss exploded into a fusion of surging anticipation. Wild and unrestrained, they couldn’t get enough. Then all of the sudden the fervent passion slowed to seductive teasing once again. He tenderly embraced the smooth curve of her neck, cradled the back of her head and dipped his forehead to hers. He waited a few moments, then he leaned back. “Maybe we should go inside.”
She nodded. “Yeah, good idea,” she said, taking his hand and leading him down the narrow path to the front door. She opened it and walked into complete darkness. She toggled the light switch, but nothing happened. “Hold on. The bulb must have blown out.” Seconds later a light came on in the small living room. “Come on in,” she said, “and have a seat. I’ll be right back.” She turned on the sound system as she walked by. Smooth jazz began playing instantly.
Chase walked into the small living room and looked around. It was the perfect beach cottage with distressed oak floors, scatter rugs and whitewashed walls with matching wainscoting. There were two large, white linen, overstuffed loveseats separated by an oblong coffee table topped with several cookbooks, one authored by Nikita Coles. He picked it up and thumbed through the pages.
It was a mixture of colorful food and table settings, photographs, recipes, party planning guides and anecdotal suggestions for avoiding kitchen disasters. He turned to the page with a photo of Nikita laughing with a man at her side. Chase recognized him instantly. He was her ex-fiancé, Reed Blackwell.
He knew the story. Nikita and Reed were engaged but he had apparently wanted to still play around. Reed walked out on her the day of their wedding, then returned five days later married to his best friend’s sister and begged Nikita to take him back. She refused. When his family found out that he’d given Nikita land and this cottage as an engagement gift, they were furious and demanded it back. She refused and the courts all sided with her since she’d legally bought it from him for one dollar and a kiss. That same land was now worth millions and even more to Titan. Chase shook his head. “Hell hath no fury…”
“Hey, remember me?”
He turned, seeing Nikita standing in the archway holding a bottle of wine, a corkscrew and two glasses. The lights behind her made her glow in stunning brilliance. He smiled in pure admiration. She walked over to see what he was holding. He turned to the front cover. “Your cookbook looks pretty interesting,” he said. “Where can I get a copy?”
“Unfortunately you can’t. It’s out of print now. But it did pretty well a few years ago. Wine?” she offered.
“Sure.” He put the book back on the coffee table and took the bottle from her. She held the glasses as he opened it and poured, then placed the bottle down. She handed him his glass and he held it up to toast. “Here’s to releases.”
She smiled, toasted and sipped her wine, then sat down in one of the comfortable love seats. He sat beside her. “You’re a very private man,” she said. He nodded. “I have a feeling you know a lot more about me than you let on. But I don’t know much about you.”
“You didn’t search me on the internet?” he questioned.
“Yeah, I did,” she admitted freely. They both knew everyone searched Google for everyone. “But there’s not a lot of personal information listed on you—only a lot of business stuff that seems to bring up more questions than they answer. For instance, it doesn’t mention an ex-wife or an ex-fiancée, so I assume you’ve never been in a committed relationship.” He nodded. “There was something that mentioned that you were in an accident recently.”
“I was. My car hit some ice and I slid into a tree.”
“Are you okay?”
He smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. It happened several months ago. What else do you want to know about me?”
“You have a slight accent. Where are you from originally?”
“I was born in Alaska. When I was two weeks old my mother moved to Europe for a new start. I’ve lived in France, Switzerland, England, Italy and a few other countries.”
“So you’re from all over. Where do you live now?”
“Mostly in Alaska, sometimes in France,” he said evasively.
“How many languages do you speak?”
“Not as many as I should. English, French and Italian get you around Europe very easily if you don’t go too far into the local dialect variations. There’s also Hyōjungo Japanese, which can get you around most of the Far East, and Swahili, Berber and Yorùbá are a safe bet in Africa. Êtes-vous impressionné?”
“Oui, très,” she answered in French without even thinking. Then she smiled and a brief moment of awareness passed between them. They were connecting and it felt comfortable.
“I like your home. It’s very inviting. I assume the coast isn’t too far away.”
She nodded. “Actually it’s a few blocks away. This area is built up on a higher level because of storm surges. For some reason it makes it sound as if the waves are just outside the front door. Would you like to see the rest of the house?”
“Sure.”
She held her glass and took him to the small, connected dining room, and then to her kitchen. It was, of course, immaculate and filled with every imaginable appliance and cooking convenience, as well as being by far the largest room in the house. There was also a small kitchen nook to the side with a stained-glass bay window, comfortable cushions and a large selection of cookbooks on the surrounding bookshelves. “That’s a nice touch,” he said, “I really like this area. It looks comfortable and cozy.”
“It’s one of my favorite places.”
He looked at her. “I bet this is where you create your recipes, right?”
“Sometimes, but I have another much larger alcove in…” She paused a few seconds, then continued, “My bedroom.”
“Oh,” he said. The one word seemed to mean a thousand others.
She continued the tour then, taking him back to the front foyer then up the stairs to the second floor. There was a narrow hallway with three closed doors. She opened the closest one and walked in. He followed. She flipped a switch and soft lighting illuminated her bedroom. She went straight to the center of the room, then turned to him. “And this is my bedroom,” she announced needlessly.
Nikita watched as he walked around, nodding approvingly. She tried to see the space for the first time as he did. Her bedroom was one huge area that encompassed most of the top level. She’d had a wall knocked out between two of the three bedrooms to increase the size of the master bedroom suite. The room was efficiently divided into a small office area with a desk, cabinets and a lounge chair, and a bedroom area with a queen-size bed. Then there was the alcove area, which as its large size would attest was more like a second sleeping area.
Chase walked over, sat down in the alcove and looked at her. His smile was pure pleasure. “Come here,” he barely whispered.
She walked over to stand right in front of him. She leaned down and kissed him tenderly. “Alors, vous voulez à faire amour ce soir?”
He smiled. “Oui. Sì. Ja. Sim. Nidiyo. Yebo. Hai. Shi. Da.”
She laughed at his extended answer. “Okay, okay, I get it. I think I can take that for a yes.”
“Oh, that’s very definitely a yes,” he said.
“Good.” She set her glass down and took his hand. He stood and followed her as she guided him to the bed and sat him down. She helped him remove his jacket and then loosened and pulled his tie free. She unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it from his pants. His chest was bare and his muscles were tight and well defined. She smiled seeing him. He was magnificent. She touched him and he jerked slightly. “Ticklish?”
He shook his head. “Aroused.”
She nodded, then wen
t over to the nightstand, opened the top drawer and pulled out a condom.
He leaned back and watched her. “Only one?” he queried.
She turned and smiled, then pulled out one more. He chuckled, got up and walked over to the nightstand and stood right behind her. He reached in and pulled out two more. She instantly felt his erection press against her. Her stomach quivered. He was definitely hard and ready.
She turned into his embrace. Having Chase here with her gave her several delicious ideas. She touched his bare chest, pushing him to sit down on the side of the bed again. She turned around so he could unzip her dress. She let it fall to the floor, then stepped out and faced him. Standing in her blue lace panties and matching strapless bra, she looked down at him. He licked his lips staring in admiration. She smiled. This was exactly what she wanted to see, the perfect reaction.
He reached up and ran two fingers over the sweet swell of her budding breasts. He licked his lips again, then let his hands drift down to her waist and around back to her rear. He held, cradled, massaged and then caressed each cheek, feeling their perky roundness. He squeezed gently then released her. He looked up into her hooded eyes. “Do you have any idea how much I want you right now?”
She knelt down on the bed, straddling him. The hardness between his legs stuck out at her instantly. “Yeah, I think I have a pretty good idea.”
They were now face-to-face, eye to eye and mouth to mouth. She reached up between them and unsnapped her bra. Her breasts bounced free, her nipples pointed directly at him. He dipped his head down to lick the tip of her nipple. She gasped and quivered. When he licked the other, her body jerked back and her stomach quaked, but he held her in place. An instant later he captured her in a mouthful of torturous pleasure. His masterful tongue tantalized her as his lips and mouth devoured her. She held tight to his shoulders as her mind shattered into a million pieces.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. The quick action stole her breath away. An instant later he kissed her with explosive power. They were consumed as the swell of passion surged to abandoned bliss. He laid her down beside him and quickly removed his pants and underwear. Then his hand came down between her legs and through her lace panties began stroking and massaging her. She was wet and it seemed to excite him even more. “You’re wet. You feel so good,” he muttered in her ear as he nibbled her neck and his fingers toyed with her true pleasure. Her hips began to gyrate of their own volition. This wasn’t what she expected, but right now all she knew was that she needed his hand right where it was.
Then he stopped, leaned back to look down the length of her nearly naked body. Her breasts peaked like twin mountaintops with nipples hard as cut diamonds. She reached down to feel him. He was hard, thick and long. Her stomach quivered. It had been a long time for her and he was so big. She leaned up and pressed her hand on his chest. He rolled onto his back with ease. She grabbed the condom package, opened it and slowly rolled it down his erection. She stroked and teased, knowing it was torturing him to remain still, but he did.
When he was well fitted, she climbed on top of him and kissed him. His hands came up to her with his thumbs circling her nipples. She moaned. Every nerve ending in her body felt as if it were about to explode. The kiss ended, and he began nibbling her neck, shoulder and chest. Then his mouth came to her breast. He took her in, suckling and savoring her bountiful flesh. He assailed the other, until her body arched and her legs trembled.
She pushed back and sat up, feeling his erection right at the entrance of her core. Then slowly, she eased down, filling herself, taking all of him. She felt every throbbing inch inside as her muscles clamped tightly around him. He groaned and held her waist. She began to move up and down, rolling and grinding her hips into him. Her breathing quickened to short gasps.
Her heart sped to match the pace she’d set. In, out, in, out, she surged over and over again. Rocking and riding him harder and harder. She panted, craving every inch of him inside of her again and again. Then she leaned back to sit tall and rock lower and deeper. He covered her bouncing breasts with his large hands that tantalized each nipple relentlessly.
The fury of passion raged as their climax approached. She held back as long as she could but she knew it was a losing battle. The first release escaped in a full spasm, making her scream his name. Her legs shook and she gasped a whimper but continued to ride him. He grabbed her hips tightly and began pounding upward, thrashing into her full force. He was coming and she was coming again. Their bodies tensed and tightened and shook as their release exploded. He slowed to deliberately measured, punctuated thrusts as his essence poured out. They tensed one last time, holding tight as ecstasy took them once more, and then slowly released them.
She opened her eyes. He was staring up at her with a smile that made her want to do it all over again.
“Hey, you okay?” he asked breathlessly.
She nodded and moved to get off, but he stopped her and pulled her down on top of his chest. Their breathing quickly synced as one. She closed her eyes again and enjoyed the feel of his long, gentle strokes on her back and down to her rear, the solidness of his chest and the treasure of him still inside of her.
She must have drifted to sleep because when she awoke she was lying on her stomach and he was right beside her, stroking and rubbing the length of her naked body. “Hey,” she said lazily.
“Hi,” he replied. “You have the most desirable body I have ever seen. And your rear is simply spectacular,” he said, kissing each buttock to make his point.
“I bet you say that to all the women you know.”
“No. I don’t,” he said with more sincerity than she expected.
She rolled over to face him. She was smiling. “You are so bad for me.” She bit at her lower lip, then reached over to grab another condom from the nightstand. “Here, put this on,” she said.
Already hard, he did. “Nice and slow this time,” she told him.
He smiled. “Yes, ma’am, nice and slow.”
They made love just as she asked—torturously slow and so very, very nice. Her on top, him on top, it didn’t matter. In the end, their passion erupted into another mind-numbing climax—then another and another.
Chapter 8
Hours later Chase woke up to the beginning of daylight and squinted against the open drapes. He sat up and looked around. He was alone. Smiling, he remembered the night before. Nikita Coles was a remarkable woman and together they had been insatiable. They’d used three of the four condoms he’d pulled out and right now he was ready to use the fourth one.
The first time she had climbed on top and took charge and he liked it. There was no pretense of purpose or false timidity. She was bold and assertive and knew exactly what she wanted from him. She was tight, but the fit was still perfect. Lying here thinking about her, he could feel his body getting hard all over again.
He got up and went into the bathroom. There was everything he needed on the counter. He brushed his teeth, jumped in the shower, wrapped a towel around his hips and then went downstairs. The heavenly aroma drew him like a moth to an open flame. Nikita was in her chrome-and-marble sanctuary. She was sitting in the alcove beneath the large stained-glass bay window writing something in a book. He watched her a few moments, undetected.
She wore glasses and had her hair parted in the middle and braided on either side like schoolgirl. She had on an apron tied around her waist over a simple floor-length sundress. He didn’t know what was more mouthwateringly stimulating, the sight of her or the aroma of whatever was cooking in the oven.
“Good morning,” he said, interrupting her. She looked up, smiling, and removed her glasses. He was still naked except for the towel wrapped and tied at his hips.
“Good morning. Your clothes are in the dryer.”
“Thanks.” He walked over to her, took the pen and notebook from her ha
nds and pulled her to stand. Barefoot, she was much shorter. He untied the bowed apron and tossed it on the cushions, then looked down the length of her body. His towel poked out slightly in front as he pulled her into his arms and began kissing her.
“Mmm,” she moaned between passionate kisses. “Oh, I have something in the oven.”
“Me, too,” he joked.
She giggled and pushed away. She went to the oven and pulled out two perfectly baked miniature cakes. The aroma was insane. She set the cake pans on the wired racks then turned and put another two small pans of batter in the oven.
“When are they coming out?” he rasped seductively.
“In about thirty to thirty-five minutes,” she said.
“Perfect.” He took her hand and led her to the front stairs. They climbed the first few steps and just before she got to the lower landing he stopped her. She turned to him. He was a step below. He wrapped his arms around waist and leaned up to kiss her. As the kiss deepened he began unbuttoning the four buttons at the front of her sundress. Her breasts, full, plump and inviting, peeked out. He dropped the next step down with his mouth open and devoured her instantly.
She held on to his shoulders and arched her back, giving him exactly what he wanted. Kissing, licking and sucking, his mouth was everywhere. She stood weakened by his amorous assault. “I can’t wait. I need you now. Right now.”
At her words he quickly pulled her dress and his towel away. They stood naked.
He kissed down the length of her body, then up again stopping at her stomach, waist and hips. He reached behind, caressed and massaged her rear, drawing her closer. “Mmm,” he groaned deep and throaty, “suddenly I think I have an appetite.”
“Okay, I can cook some eggs, bacon, pancakes and—”
“Nikita,” he interrupted and looked up at her smiling. “Not that kind of appetite,” he said softly.
Just One Taste (Kimani Romance) Page 7
