Bewitched

by Lori Foster

  “You’ve done an incredible job with her, Charlie. She’s an intelligent young lady and an excellent judge of character. She has enough sense to call you if anything should go wrong.”

  She bit her lip, trying to sort out her thoughts. “Why should I trust you when you don’t trust me?”

  His hands stilled.

  “Something’s going on with Carlyle. I can feel it.”

  A look of alarm passed over his features and his frown turned fierce. “That has nothing to do with you.”

  Flabbergasted, she leaned back to look at him. “And my personal life has nothing to do with you, but I noticed that hasn’t slowed you down any!”

  Her new posture pushed her pelvis closer to his, while baring her upper body. His gaze again lowered to her breasts, and he remained silent.

  Tension radiated off him and she shifted. “What? No answer to that?”

  His hand coasted down her spine to her backside, cuddling and stroking. In a near rasp, he said, “We’re standing in a bedroom, you’re taunting me with these luscious little breasts of yours, and I’m so aroused I can barely think. Did you really expect me to indulge in conversation?”

  Her own arousal hit like a tidal wave, stealing her breath and filling her with undulating heat. All her confusion, all her nervousness, magically transformed into sexual awareness. She could barely get a whisper past her constricted throat. “Harry?”

  Shaking his head with a denial she didn’t understand, he closed his eyes. “I can’t do this anymore.”

  The heat of his hard chest beckoned her, and she braced her palms flat there. “Do what?”

  Startling her with his suddenness, he lifted her, walked the two steps to the bed, then dropped with her to the mattress. He caught her hands and lifted them over her head, then groaned as her breasts pressed to his chest.

  The weight of his body both appeased and intensified the ache, making her squirm. “I love how you feel, Harry. So hard and hot and strong.”

  The low gasping of his breath tickled her ear. “I’m glad you think so, because I’m in no hurry to move.”

  “I don’t want you to move. Let my hands go.”

  “No.”

  “What do you mean ‘no’?” When he didn’t answer, she tried to pull away.

  “Not this time, honey. This time we finish it. My way.”

  Charlie felt both excited and slightly alarmed by his uncompromising tone, uncertain how she should react. Then she realized she really had no choice. Harry wasn’t letting go, and that meant she’d have to accept whatever he had planned.

  Her eyes narrowed sensually. She’d wallow in every second of his dominance.

  Raising himself slightly, Harry smiled and transferred both her hands into one of his own, then cupped her jaw. “You’re just filled with demands, aren’t you?”

  “I wasn’t… ”

  “Hmm. Yes, you were. It’s part and parcel of who you are. But I like it. Most of the time. Right now, I like you soft and submissive beneath me.” He kissed her gently, pulling back when she tried to deepen the kiss. “Do you like it too, honey?”

  “Yes.”

  That soft whisper shook his resolve. Harry closed his mouth over hers, felt her lips part and immediately stroked his tongue inside. Her slender thighs tightened restlessly, her body shifting in subtle, erotic moves. His free hand slid down her side, then to her soft breast. Damn she felt good. Her nipple was already puckered, pressing against her thin cotton bra, and with a low curse, he caught the cup with his fingertips and pulled it down until her firm breast came free.

  Harry tore his mouth away from hers to look at her. He leaned back and to the side, keeping her hands firmly clasped, watching in heated appreciation as she strained toward him.

  Her breast was so white, the nipple a soft pale pink, and he wanted her. He leaned down with no forewarning and drew her into his mouth.

  She gave a stifled scream.

  “Hush. Someone downstairs might hear you.”

  “Harry… it’s too much.”

  “Nonsense,” he said, taunting her with his assurance. “You’ll like this. Just be still.”

  She didn’t even try. As he licked and gently sucked, she struggled against him, moaning, twisting. She kept trying to pull her hands free, but he didn’t think she was even aware of it. She didn’t want to be free, it was just in Charlie’s nature to fight any type of restriction. He felt provoked by her reactions, and grew all the more determined to control things.

  From the day he’d met her, she’d made him crazy with her take charge ways, even while his admiration for her courage grew. Little by little she’d seduced him, not just sexually, but emotionally as well. He wanted her, and he was tired of denying himself. Unlike his ex-wife, who tried to manipulate with tears, Charlie fought fair, with upfront demands and honest compromises. He enjoyed his battles with her, rather than feeling guilty over them. She excited him on every level, and he couldn’t resist any longer.

  Later, he’d work through the problems. But now, in this precise moment, all he cared about was making her his own.

  He loved the taste of her, her hot reactions, and he wanted more. Coming up to his knees, straddling her hips so she couldn’t scoot away, he tugged the bra completely off. Charlie froze for an instant as the heat of embarrassment colored her face and throat. “You’re looking at me.”

  “Yes.” With one finger he touched her exposed nipples. “You’re wet from my mouth, tight and sweet.”

  Her eyes closed again and she made soft sounds of desire. Her breasts were plump, offered up by the way she kept straining toward him. The mere sight of her aroused him as much as an hour of foreplay. “You’re right, sweetheart. These are very special.”

  “You’re embarrassing me, Harry.”

  His mouth tipped in a small smile. She didn’t sound embarrassed. She sounded excited. Her breasts shimmered with each breath, her diaphragm expanding. Her abdomen was silky smooth, narrow. The waistband of her jeans curled out away from her skin and he deftly flicked the snap free. He could hear her rasping, anxious breaths as he slowly tugged down the zipper. Her belly was taut, her hips staining upward. He dipped one fingertip in her navel, then followed the line of her zipper downward, gradually parting the material until he came to the elastic waistband of her bikini panties. Because he’d already seen her bra, he wasn’t surprised that these were also white cotton.

  “You have very conservative taste in underclothes,” he murmured.

  His finger continued to tickle up and down just inside her zipper and her voice shook when she replied. “No one sees them but me.”

  Her words filled him with satisfaction, and the possessive urges no longer alarmed him. “I think this one is jealous,” he said of the breast he hadn’t yet tasted.

  “Harry… ”

  Her tone was a whimper in anticipation of what she knew would come. He wanted her to understand that she couldn’t always control him, that some things were better left in his hands, especially the sensual things.

  With that in mind, he bent and carefully kissed her breast, avoiding the erect, puckered nipple and ignoring her soft cries. Relentlessly he teased, always staying just out of reach no matter how she turned or tried to coax him to take her into his mouth. She cursed him softly, then moaned, her thick lashes drifting down over her eyes, her body going utterly lax, with no fight left at all.

  Harry tried to stifle the overwhelming feeling of triumph, but knowing he’d won with this one particular woman—and that she’d enjoyed letting him win—filled him with primitive instincts. He loosened his hold and whispered close to her ear, “Don’t move, sweetheart.”

  “Harry… please.”

  His heart tripped. He’d never thought to hear that word from her mouth. She’d not only given over to him, she trusted him enough to show her full need. Releasing her hands and sitting up, Harry pulled off her boots and socks, then hooked his fingers in the waistband of her jeans and tugged them down to her knees.
She helped him by kicking them off the rest of the way.

  Charlie watched him through dazed eyes. Her soft mouth was slightly open, her hands resting above her head, the palms up and vulnerable. He shook he wanted her so badly.

  Coming down on his elbow beside her, he kissed her hungrily and she groaned in relief. Impatient, he stroked his hand down her belly and below, cupping his fingers over her mound, feeling the heat of her, the dampness of the cotton panties. He could hear the race of his blood in his ears, and the sexy little sounds Charlie made.

  She was already so close, and he’d barely begun. He leaned away from her and saw her hands were now fisted tightly, her chest heaving, her pale thighs clenched. He pushed his hand inside her panties and with his middle finger pressed and stroked. “You’re so wet, honey. Do you like that?”

  “Yes.”

  She didn’t hesitate in answering, though her reply was an almost incoherent hiss. He’d always loved watching a woman climax, but seeing Charlie, her head pressed back, her neck muscles straining, her pretty breasts heaving—it was more than he’d ever expected. More than he likely deserved. Very slowly, he worked one finger inside her. Though she was silky wet and very excited, she clenched his finger tightly. He groaned, imagining how she’d feel squeezing his erection. His heart pounded.

  “Ah, Harry, I… ”

  “Does that hurt?” he whispered. His free arm was beside her head and he smoothed her silky dark hair away from her face.

  She shook her head, then said, “A little. But don’t stop.”

  “No, I won’t stop.” It pained him to smile, he was so aroused, but he felt full to bursting with love and contentment. He kissed her cheek, her nose, then used his thumb to find her small clitoris. He touched it lightly and she jerked, her reaction very telling.

  He found a rhythm, using her own wetness to slick the way, to make the friction sweeter. He could tell she held her breath, her entire body tensed in expectation, and when she suddenly lurched and cried out he kissed her, swallowing the sound, taking it into himself. She forgot his instructions and wrapped her arms tightly around him, gripping him as if needing an anchor, as if she needed him as close as possible. Harry continued to kiss her, his tongue stroking in her mouth just as his finger stroked inside her. Her climax was long and full and she held him, her thighs rigid, her inner muscles trembling. She was so explosive, so real, he nearly lost control.

  Making love to her, actually being inside her, might well kill him. But he was more than willing to take the risk.

  As she quieted, he tenderly kissed her trembling lips. “You okay?”

  She mumbled something he couldn’t hear and burrowed a little closer.

  “Should I take that as a yes?” He wanted to tease, but his voice shook and he knew he wouldn’t last a minute longer.

  For an answer, she bit hint He jumped, then rubbed his chest, though the small nip of her teeth hadn’t really hurt. “Your vicious tendencies never cease to amaze me.”

  She gave him a scorching look and smiled. “My vicious tendencies will explode if you don’t get on with it.”

  “Impatient wench.” But he stood beside the bed and began unbuttoning his shirt. Charlie watched, lying on her back at her leisure, unashamed of her nudity or the sensual pose she presented.

  Impossible as it seemed, her gaze grew even warmer and she breathed more deeply as he tossed his shirt aside and unbuttoned his slacks. He removed his wallet and pulled a condom from it, tossing it onto the nightstand beside her bed. She smiled.

  Holding her gaze, he toed off his shoes, then pulled down his slacks, removing his shorts and socks at the same time. He straightened, then stood there, letting her look her fill.

  She took a leisurely perusal of his body, from his shoulders all the way down to his feet. Once that was done, her gaze lifted to focus on his erection. He throbbed painfully, feeling her attention like a tactile touch.

  “Well?”

  With warm cheeks and hot eyes she nodded. “You’ll do.”

  The laugh emerged as a bark, relieving a bit of his tension. He climbed back into bed with her. “Merely satisfactory, huh?”

  “On the contrary.” She crawled over him, lying along his length, propping her elbows on his chest. Her voice turned low and husky as she stared down into his eyes. “You’re so incredibly sexy there are no words.”

  The breathless compliment pushed him right over the edge. “Charlie.” He turned her beneath him and kissed her deeply, groaning at the acute sensation of her nakedness beneath him. With her arms free this time, she explored him, her small palms coasting over his shoulders, down his spine to his buttocks. He groaned again, then reared back. “Damn it. I’m sorry, but I can’t wait. I wanted to make this last, to glut myself on you—”

  “How romantic.”

  He shook his head, unable to banter with her at this moment when his need was so great. “I’ll explode if I don’t get inside you right now.”

  Her smile was pure female satisfaction. “So explode. I’m not stopping you.”

  Muttering another curse, he leaned over to the nightstand and grabbed the condom. Charlie watched in fascination as he put it on, then squealed when he quickly tucked her beneath him. “Put your legs around me.”

  She obeyed. He reached between their bodies, touching her, opening her for his thrust. “You’re small, honey.”

  Her eyes were huge, watchful. “And you’re not.”

  “No.” He ground his teeth together while his fingers again explored her. Her feminine flesh was swelled, hot. And she was wet from her release. He closed his eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “It’s all right, Harry. I won’t break.”

  He wanted to laugh. Even now, she was full of bravado, unwilling to show any weakness. He wanted to wait, to ease into her gently, but she kept touching him and her hips squirmed against him. His control snapped. With a harsh curse, he entered her.

  She caught her breath, but didn’t fight him.

  “Easy, sweetheart.” He saw her through a red haze of overwhelming lust and tenderness, emotions that when mixed became volatile. She quivered, and her eyes closed, her neck arched. She gave a small moan, of pain or ecstasy, he couldn’t tell. Then her legs tightened around his waist and her fingers tangled in his hair, and he was gone.

  He rode her as gently as he could considering every muscle in his body strained for release. He felt sweat on his shoulders, felt her uneven breaths on his throat. And he felt Charlie, soft and inquisitive and delicate, despite the impression she liked to give the world.

  Sliding one hand beneath her hips, he tilted her pelvis to allow him a deeper penetration, driven to bind their bodies together, to make her a part of him. She cried out, and her inner muscles clamped down on him.

  “Come on, sweetheart,” he ground out through his teeth, thrusting harder, faster, his control a distant memory. “Come for me again. I want you with me.”

  He felt the spasms in her legs first, then the way her entire body tensed. She caught and held her breath, her eyes squeezed tight, and she climaxed, holding him, whispering his name. Tears seeped past her lashes and as he joined her, his own release strong enough to steal his strength, the truth hit him. He loved her. Damn, how he loved her.

  Now the real trouble would begin.

  Bewitched

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ************************************************************************************************

  “Oh Harry. That was… indescribable.”

  She heard a grunt that could possibly pass for a reply, and grinned. Harry at a loss for words? What a novelty.

  Her hands coasted over his slick shoulders and she kissed his throat. He tasted good. He smelled good. She admitted he was good. Her body still tingled pleasantly in very interesting places. “I wouldn’t mind doing this again.”

  The grunt turned into a groan. With obvious effort, Harry raised his head. His light brown eyes were soft and sated and filled with som
e emotion she didn’t understand.

  He touched her hair, her cheek. “Insatiable, are we?”

  “A tribute to your skill.”

  “Hmm. I suppose I could be convinced—in about an hour.”

  She laughed, then pushed at his shoulder. “In that case, you need to move. I have things to do.”

  Obediently, Harry rolled to the side, sprawling on his back like a vanquished warrior. When she started to crawl over him, he made a sound of appreciation and pulled her flat to his chest. “Don’t you know lovers are supposed to talk after sex? It’s callous to just use me and then leave the bed without any soft whispering and cuddling.”

  Toying with the hair on his chest, she laughed. “Callous, huh? I wouldn’t want to be accused of that. But maybe we can talk later? I need to get going.”

  A frown appeared where before he’d been all smiles. “Where is it you think you have to rush off to?”

  She tried to get up again, but now he had both hands cupping her bare backside, anchoring her in place. “I told you, I want to go keep an eye on Jill.”

  Harry closed his eyes with a soft curse. When he opened them again, she was struck by the cold determination there. “You don’t need to do that.”

  “So says a man who doesn’t have a little sister. Look, Harry, I know you said you checked up on Dalton. But how much could you have really found out? There could be all kinds of skeletons in his closet, and until I’m assured—”

  “There aren’t.”

  “You sound awfully sure of that.” She watched him skeptically, knowing that particular tone and look.

  With a sigh, Harry lifted her to the side of the bed and sat up. “We need to talk.”

  Charlie scrambled for the sheet and pulled it over her. “And we will. Later.”

  Resignation darkened his features as he glanced at her over his shoulder. “I know your father.”

  A strange foreboding made her stomach pitch. She pressed a fist to it and said logically, “Of course you do. You brought him here.”