His gaze moved to the refrigerator where several drawings, obviously done by a child, decorated the surface.
“Who did the artwork?” he asked, nodding toward the drawings.
She selected a slice of rolled salami and a wedge of cheese. “Emma, the little girl across the street. I watch her occasionally for Bob and Deb-her parents. Emma likes to come here because I always have Rocky Road ice cream in the freezer and Hershey’s Kisses in the pantry.”
“Good to know.” Snagging a bread stick wrapped in Italian ham, he thought about her watching her neighbor’s kid, the friendly camaraderie she shared with Mrs. Trigali and Mr. Finney, and an odd yearning filled him. “It’s nice that you have such a close relationship with your neighbors. Except to exchange an occasional hello, I barely see any of mine, let alone know them well.”
“Maybe that will change now that you’re not working such crazy hours.”
“Maybe.” But he doubted it. There was something about an apartment that just didn’t have the same homey quality as a house. Given her upbringing, he could understand why she’d craved owning her own house. Not having that prospect of moving hanging over her head. And it suddenly occurred to him that while his apartment was where he lived, it didn’t feel like a home. Not like this small, cozy, fixer-upper house of Mallory’s.
A frown yanked down his brows. Damn, he was losing his marbles. His apartment was perfect. Sure it was a little sparse as far as decorations went, but it had all the basics a bachelor needed-beer in the fridge, take-out places within walking distance, a comfortable sofa, big-screen TV and a king-size bed. And what difference did it make? He’d be moving in six months when his lease was up.
Deciding to shift the conversation away from domestic stuff, he asked, “What did you say to Mrs. Trigali that had her relocating the meeting?”
“When I told her you and I were getting together for this evening only, she put two and two together and realized four was a crowd.”
This evening only…
Those words reverberated through Adam, and in spite of the fact that they were perfectly true, they left behind an unsettling sensation he couldn’t name other than to know that he didn’t particularly like it. And sizzled impatience through his system to have her again.
Standing, he snagged her hand and gently tugged.
“Where are we going?” she asked, sliding off the stool.
He unknotted the sash of her robe and slipped his hands inside the parted material to run his palms over the enticing curve of her waist.
“Let’s take a shower,” he said, leaning down to nuzzle her soft, fragrant neck. “I want to make wet, hot love to you in the water. See if it’s as good as I remember.”
“That sounds lovely. But with the power out, the water might not stay warm for long.”
“You have a problem with a wet, hot quickie?”
“Now that’s a rhetorical question if I’ve ever heard one.”
9
Saturday, 11:30 p.m.
MALLORY STOOD under the warm shower spray, her palms braced against the pale green tiles, her head falling limply between her arms while she luxuriated in the incredible sensations humming through her body courtesy of Adam’s soapy hands.
Lifting her head, she peeked at him over her shoulder. “For a guy who claimed he wanted a quickie, you’re taking your sweet time.” Her muscles turned to warmed wax under his long, slow massage down her back and her neck went limp again.
“I never said I wanted a quickie-this time. Only that I was willing should the water turn cold.” His hands came forward to glide over her breasts and tease her nipples. “I’d much rather take my time.”
One hand slipped lower and she spread her legs wider for him. “Works for me.”
His lips wandered over the back of her neck, along her shoulder, reawakening memories of showering with him. While one hand continued to tease her breasts, the fingers of his other hand eased between her legs to caress her with a lazy, maddening, teasing stroke.
“This beauty mark,” he whispered, kissing a spot at the base of her nape. “I remember how I used to love it when you wore your hair up so I could just walk up behind you, like this-” he moved closer and his erection nestled tighter against her buttocks “-and kiss that gorgeous spot.”
God, she remembered him doing that. How it thrilled her every time, turning her knees to mush. “I’m surprised you remember,” she said, her eyes drifting closed, her senses reeling from the combination of his lips nuzzling her neck and his fingers’ slow, relentless arousal of her sex.
“You have another beauty mark-three freckles. Here.” His hand brushed under her left breast. “And another one here.” His hand curved over her shoulder, then coasted down her back to lightly knead her right buttock.
Flutters ignited in her belly. “You have a good memory.”
“It has more to do with you being unforgettable than with me having a good memory.”
A small frown pulled at her brows. Unforgettable? Clearly he was only being gallant. If she’d been so unforgettable, why had he wanted them to see other people? True, she’d been on her way to college, he embarking on his Wall Street career, but she hadn’t even thought of dating anyone else while they were apart. She’d found everything she wanted-in him. But he’d been adamant. Kind, but adamant. And she hadn’t been about to beg. He’d wanted only friendship-fine. She’d buried her hurt and given him what he wanted.
But all thoughts of the past were driven from her mind, along with everything else when his hand curved over her bottom then moved forward over her slick folds. He slipped two fingers into her from behind, while the fingers of his other hand continued their maddening slow circles over her swollen, aroused flesh. Pressing back, she undulated her hips, seeking more, and he obliged her by touching all the right spots in all the right ways.
For several stunning seconds she remained on the precipice, then her orgasm throbbed through her, dragging a long, husky moan from her throat that tapered off along with her spasms into a purr of pleasure.
“Stay right there, just like that,” he whispered against her ear, as if she were going anywhere. As if she were capable of doing anything other than fighting to catch her breath. He moved away from her, forcing her to brace her knees so she didn’t slither down the drain. A tearing sound roused her enough to glance over her shoulder. Adam, wet and aroused, rivulets of water trailing down his muscular body, was rolling on a condom. He looked up and the scorching fire in his eyes rippled heat down her spine. With his gaze on hers, he clasped her hips and entered her from behind with one long, deep thrust.
For the space of several breathless heartbeats they remained perfectly still and Mallory absorbed the carnal sensations ricocheting through her. Then he rocked against her, touching her deeper. Her eyes drifted closed and she sighed a long oooohhh of pleasure. Standing behind her, he stroked her, slowly, surely, withdrawing nearly all the way from her body, only to glide deep again. One hand slid around her, coasting over her abdomen then dipping between her legs, his fingers knowing exactly where and how to touch her throbbing nerve endings.
“Adam…” she gasped, arching her neck, her back, drowning in sensation. Her orgasm inundated her, a convulsive rush of mindless pleasure. He groaned and thrust deeply, and she absorbed his shudders as he took his release.
She’d thought she couldn’t move before, but now she realized how foolish she’d been-now that she really knew what overcooked spaghetti felt like. Her breathing still ragged, she felt him gently withdraw from her body, heard the shower door slide open then quickly close again as he clearly disposed of the condom. Then felt his hands on her shoulders, gently turning her around until she faced him.
“Don’t let go just yet, okay?” she asked, struggling to open eyelids heavy with postcoital languor. “My knees are totally gone, and it’s all your fault.”
He anchored her against him with one strong arm then lightly brushed his fingertips over her wet lips. “Not letting g
o,” he said softly.
She managed to hike up her eyelids to half-mast. “As I recall you were good in the shower…”
Her words trailed off at his expression. He looked dazed-understandable if his orgasm had hit the same height on the Richter scale as hers-but he also looked…confused? A small frown bunched between his brows, and his gaze roamed over her face, his fingers brushing over her features as if trying to figure out who she was and how she’d ended up naked in the shower with him.
“You okay?” she felt compelled to ask.
His gaze, dark and intense, met hers. Then he blinked and his expression cleared. “About a hundred times better than ‘okay.’ You?”
She slid her hands up his chest and pulled his head down for a lush, open-mouthed kiss. “Very okay. At least for now. But I’ve gotta warn you, I’m going to want to do that again.”
He ran his tongue over her bottom lip then nibbled on the sensitive skin. “I don’t know when I’ve ever heard better news.”
“Doesn’t frighten you off?”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
She leaned back in the circle of his arms and smiled into his beautiful eyes, his dark lashes spiky from the water. “Good. Because the night’s still young and it’s come to my attention that I have several months of being unfulfilled to make up for.”
His eyebrows shot up. “No way.”
“’Fraid so.” But as gratified as she was by his unmistakable “your boyfriend must have been nuts” expression, she didn’t want to think about, let alone talk about Greg. She shot Adam a crooked grin. “Until you arrived this evening, you could sum up my situation in two words-lonely and horny.”
His slow, wicked smile stole her breath. “Lonely and horny,” he repeated, his hands slipping down to caress her bottom. “A very serious condition commonly called lorny. Strikes down thousands of unsuspecting people every year. Luckily, I know just the cure.”
“How lucky for me.”
He gave her butt a playful squeeze. “Me, too. So let’s get started.”
“Started?”
“Well, hell, you don’t think I’m finished, do you?”
“No,” she said with a laugh. “But I think we’re past the starting point. What’s next?”
For an answer, he turned them so that the spray cascaded over their heads and between their bodies. “A quick rinse off.”
“Very quick-the water’s turning cold.”
Amid much laughing and kissing, they quickly soaped each other up then rinsed under the rapidly cooling water. After shutting off the taps, she’d barely squeezed the excess moisture from her hair and wrapped a towel around herself sarong style, when Adam grabbed the flashlight and her hand and led her across the hall into her bedroom.
“Now what?” she asked.
“Now you relax on the bed for a few minutes while I prepare the next step in the ‘lorny’ cure, which coincidentally, is nearly identical to the ‘reassure her she’s potently sexy’ cure.”
“I see. So in other words, you’re good for everything that’s ailing me.”
“Yeah. Which makes me one hell of a lucky guy.” He brushed his lips over hers then gave her a gentle nudge toward the bed. “Lie down. Relax. I’ll be back in five minutes.”
Since her knees still felt like mush and lying down sounded really nice, Mallory climbed onto the mattress. Heaving a feminine sigh of pleasure, she watched him leave the room, and decided that no man had ever looked so good wearing nothing except a towel.
Too bad you only have him for tonight, her inner voice whispered.
And in a heartbeat, her sigh of pleasure turned into another sort of sigh altogether.
Yes, too bad she only had him for tonight.
But with him jetting off to parts unknown and the up-in-the-air nature of his future in direct opposition to how she lived her life, tonight was all that the fickle nature of timing allowed them. It was better than nothing. And she had every intention of making the most of their remaining hours. Everything would be fine as long as she didn’t forget that she and Adam were, once again, traveling on paths that were heading in opposite directions.
ADAM ENTERED Mallory’s kitchen and flicked off the flashlight since the multitude of candles she’d lit provided enough light, as well as scenting the air with the musky, sweet fragrance of vanilla. Then he braced his palms on the cool granite counter, lowered his head and tried to assemble the tornado of emotions swirling through him into some kind of order.
He felt completely…unraveled. Like someone had yanked on a loose string hanging off his shirt and after he’d spun like a top had ended up with no shirt and an untidy mound of thread.
Something was happening here, something between him and Mallory. Something that was a hell of a lot more than just sex. At least it was to him.
He knew all too well what just sex felt like. It was fun, pleasant, lighthearted. Ultimately forgettable. While he supposed fun and pleasant could be used to describe his evening with Mallory-although both words were a little lukewarm-lighthearted and forgettable definitely didn’t apply.
And that was the problem. This felt…intense. In a way that threw him off balance. In a way he couldn’t recall ever experiencing with anyone else.
Except her.
He lifted his head and stared out the window toward the unbroken darkness, seeing nothing save his own dim reflection in the glass. He stared into his own eyes that appeared somewhat dazed. This entire scenario felt so damned familiar. Mallory inundating every corner of his mind. Filling him with laughter and happiness and excitement. And just like before, he found himself feeling too much too soon. And as it had in the past, it scared the hell out of him. He needed to remember this was just for one night. Their only night together. He was Mr. Rebound. A balm for her bruised ego. They each had their own lives that were, once again, veering off in opposite directions. In less than forty-eight hours he’d begin his dream trip. He’d waited a long time for this opportunity-freedom from the pressures and stress of his job, carefree traveling around Europe where he’d enjoy exotic locales, fabulous food, incredible wine, spectacular sights and gorgeous, sexy women.
How was it that a week ago, a day ago, hell-six hours ago, that all had sounded like Utopia and now it sounded like…not Utopia?
Must just be the incredible sex he’d shared with Mallory. Yeah, that’s all it was. Apparently she wasn’t the only one who’d been “lorny.” Not that he’d been lonely. Exactly. Still, all this unexpected and amazing sex had his cylinders out of whack. His hormones out of balance. His red-blood-count levels raised. Once this night was over, once he wasn’t being subjected to all this nonstop sexual stimulation, he’d put everything back into perspective.
He was just feeling…nostalgic. Being with Mallory was like being hit with a deluge of memories of the feelings and emotions he’d felt for her years ago. How much he’d enjoyed her company, in and out of bed. Yes, that’s all they were-memories.
Whew! See? All he needed was to put some physical space between them for a few minutes to get his head cleared and his thoughts back into alignment. ’Cause damn-how was a guy supposed to think straight when she was kissing him? Touching him? When he was buried deep inside her?
She was on the career track, and he’d just gotten off that treadmill. She needed structure, stability, and his plans for the foreseeable future were anything but. Still, he couldn’t shake this feeling that he’d been sucker punched. Right in the heart.
But surely that was just a result of all these memories. Remembering all the things he’d felt when he was with her. The heady excitement. The profound happiness. How much he’d admired and liked her. How deeply he’d loved her. After tonight, they’d go their separate ways, as they’d done in the past. And as it was in the past, it was what was best for both of them.
But before he left, he was going to make damn sure she was plenty reassured and no longer suffering from “lorniness.”
He shook his head. How was it that s
he’d felt unfulfilled for several months? The fact that her ex-boyfriend could manage to keep his hands off her for more than several minutes…unbelievable.
But hey, maybe he should send the guy a thank-you note. If not for him being an ass, Adam wouldn’t have this night with her. And for this night, she was his.
He spent a few minutes gathering what he wanted, then set up everything on a large acrylic platter with a palm-tree design he found in her cupboard. Just before heading back to the bedroom, he made a quick phone call-remembering to turn off his damn phone when he was finished. Then he picked up the laden platter and walked back to the bedroom.
When he entered, Mallory rolled onto her side and watched with obvious interest while he set the tray on the edge of the bed then removed the thick pillar candles, placing one on the night table and the other on her dresser, casting the room in a pale golden glow.
“What’s all this?” she asked, nodding toward the tray.
“Some romantic lighting. The wine. Chocolate candy kisses.”
She sat up. “Chocolate kisses? As in Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses?”
“Are there any other kind?”
“Not as far as I’m concerned. Raided my pantry, huh?”
“No. I brought them.” He held up the large cellophane bag. “Got the extra-large size.”
“Fabulous. You can never have too many kisses.”
He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. “My thought exactly. I also brought the music.” Straightening, he set the radio on the night table and adjusted the volume.
“…Welcome back to Sensuous Songs and Decadent Dedications. Hope everyone is safe during the blackout, and that if you happen to be with someone sensuous and decadent, you’re making the most of this opportunity. Give us a call and let us know what song would make your hours in the dark more meaningful. This next song was requested by J.D. in Brooklyn for Kathleen. Hey, Kathleen-your man J.D. says that he hasn’t been the same since the minute he laid eyes on you. One look, and his heart was yours. Here’s ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You…’”
Why Not Tonight? Page 12
