Cinderella for a Night

by Susan Mallery

  Then he was so close to the apex of her thighs that she couldn’t ignore it any longer. Keeping her eyes closed, she dropped her forehead to his shoulder. One hand rubbed up and down her back while the other crept between her blond curls and touched her most secret place.

  She’d read about Sleeping Beauty being awakened by a single kiss, but she’d never heard about anyone being changed by a single touch. Until now. She didn’t know if it was good luck on his part or design or what, but his fingers found one tiny spot that seemed to be magic.

  At the first moment of contact, she nearly shot to her feet. Every muscle tensed, but only because the sensation was so incredibly wonderful. It was even better than when he’d touched her nipples. She gasped and clung to him, while he laughed softly.

  “Got it in one,” he murmured and began to kiss her neck.

  “Yeah,” she said, not sure what she was agreeing to, but also not caring.

  He continued to touch her there. Gently, so very gently, but with a persistence that made her muscles quiver. She wanted him never to stop. It felt too good. She would have done anything, said anything, just to have him continue.

  “I could never be a spy,” she whispered. “If I had any secrets, you would only have to touch me like this to get me to tell them all.”

  “Do you have any secrets?” he asked teasingly.

  “No. Do you want me to make any up?”

  She didn’t hear his answer. Mostly because she wasn’t listening. She couldn’t. Not while he continued to touch her there, moving back and forth on that one spot. Occasionally he drifted away, exploring the rest of her feminine place. Once he dipped his finger inside of her, as if testing the most private part of her.

  Does it feel this good for the man, she wondered hazily as he returned to the tiny spot of pleasure and continued to take her on an odyssey of discovery. It had to, but at this point in time, she didn’t really care. She just wanted to keep feeling the delightful tension that made her strain toward him. The fact that she was completely naked, on his lap, having him touch her so intimately was incidental.

  Suddenly they were moving. Jonathan picked her up and turned her so she stretched out on the bed. He pulled off his shirt and tie, then his shoes and socks. Last to go were his slacks. He left on his briefs. Her gaze settled on the visible proof of his arousal. Two parts curiosity, one part fear made her shiver. Soon he was going to be inside of her.

  “I want you,” Jonathan breathed as he moved over her and began kissing her.

  She wrapped her arms around him, drawing him close. As his tongue entered her mouth, his fingers returned to her waiting heat. He settled on that special spot and began to move faster.

  Suddenly she couldn’t breathe. Something was happening. The heat increased and her skin felt incredibly sensitive. Jonathan broke their kiss to move down to her breasts. He drew one nipple into his mouth and flicked it with his tongue. The rhythm matched his fingers below. The combination was indescribable. Involuntarily her knees drew back and her hips arched upward. He rubbed lighter and faster, over and over until she felt herself on the verge of either flying away or coming apart.

  Then he was kissing her lips again. He dipped into her mouth and retreated. She followed. As she did, his lips closed around her and he gently sucked on her tongue. At the same movement, he increased the pressure between her legs. Tension grew unbearably.

  Suddenly she was both flying and falling, caught up in a vortex, she neither understood nor wanted to leave. Every part of her body experienced a pleasure so complete she wondered how she’d survived without it for so long. His hands slowed, their kiss ended and she found herself cradled in his arms.

  He didn’t say anything, which was good because she felt a little embarrassed by what had happened. Had she said anything stupid or done it wrong?

  “Thank you,” Jonathan said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Not only for being so responsive, but for making it clear what you liked. I wanted to please you.”

  She risked a glance. He seemed genuinely happy so she smiled. “You did a really good job.” The words were so inadequate that she had to laugh.

  He grinned in return. “A good job, huh? Wow. Talk about praise. I’ll have to get a plaque made.”

  Then they were laughing together and suddenly it was all right. Cynthia hugged Jonathan and he hugged her back.

  “Thank you,” she said. “I was really nervous and not sure how it was going to go. You made me feel wonderful.”

  “I’m glad.”

  Their gazes locked. She breathed his name and he kissed her. Slowly…deeply. Surprisingly her passion returned and with it the need to touch him and finally find out what all the fuss was about. She pressed her hands against his back and explored his powerful muscles. He was warm and smooth and felt so good to touch. He returned her caresses, first brushing her side, then teasing her breasts.

  When her breathing had increased and she felt the now familiar heat flaring inside of her, he rolled away and opened a drawer on the nightstand. After pulling off his briefs, he removed the protection from its wrapping and slipped it on.

  Cynthia rose up on her elbow to watch, but his back was to her and she couldn’t see very much. When he turned toward her, she caught only a brief glimpse of his maleness before he began kissing her again.

  This time he knelt between her legs and cupped her face in his hands. His kisses were slow and drugging, leaving her aroused and panting. She felt something probing against her feminine place, then he was filling her.

  “I want you,” he breathed against her mouth, his dark gaze finding hers. “I’m not sure I can hold back.”

  Ah, cryptic conversation. “Me, either,” she lied, hoping it was the right line.

  Jonathan frowned. “I wouldn’t think you’d have the same problem.”

  Not knowing how to respond, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him thoroughly. That seemed to be enough of a distraction that he stopped talking.

  She felt him continue to enter her. He was big and she stretched to the point of discomfort. Yet even as she wanted to protest, she had to admit she liked the feel of him inside of her. The fullness and pressure felt right, as if this was where he belonged.

  He stopped for a second. “You’re really tight.” Then he pushed harder and there was a sharp pain.

  She tensed, even as she realized what had happened. Goodbye to her virginity. There wasn’t any fear or regret—only a sense of conviction that she’d made the correct choice. But Jonathan didn’t seem to share her feelings. He’d stopped moving and when she opened her eyes, she found him staring at her.

  “Tell me I’m wrong,” he said, something close to panic filling his eyes.

  The kissing had worked last time so she tried it again. “I want you,” she told him, echoing his words, then claiming his mouth. At the same time she placed her hands on his rear and pulled him in deeper.

  He groaned as he buried himself inside of her. As he withdrew, he pulled back a little. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Please. I want this.”

  He swore, then dropped his mouth to hers and claimed her. As his tongue invaded her mouth, the most male part of him invaded her in other ways. They moved together. The back and forth movement was interesting. She felt some of the same tinglings she’d felt earlier, but before she could decide on the possibilities, he was thrusting faster and deeper and she sensed that his time was near.

  Then he cried out and stiffened. She held him close and smiled.

  Jonathan rolled onto his back and stared unseeingly at the ceiling. His brain didn’t want to process the facts, but he couldn’t avoid them. Cynthia had been a virgin. A virgin! He hadn’t known there were any left. At least not in her age bracket.

  “You said you were twenty-six,” he said, his voice accusing.

  “I am.”

  “But…”

  He turned to face her. She was naked and looking a little lost. Damn. Just like a kicked kitten. He didn�
��t need this trouble in his life and he had exactly no one else to blame. He shifted and held out his arms so that she could cuddle against him. She sighed and a warm puff of air caressed his chest.

  “How did this happen?” he asked. “The virgin part.”

  “Actually, I was born this way,” she teased.

  “Great.” He took a deep breath and told himself to remain calm. Taking her virginity wasn’t the end of the world…even if it felt that way. “I was more interested in how you stayed one.”

  “Oh.” She tilted her chin and looked at him. “It was pretty easy. I never wanted to go all the way with any of my boyfriends. I think it was because my mom had such a great relationship with Frank. I saw that and decided I wanted the same. I wasn’t willing to settle on some fumbling in the back of a car with a boy I didn’t care about.”

  If she was trying to make him feel better, she wasn’t doing a very good job. “Cynthia, I don’t think—”

  She reached up and pressed her fingertips to his lips. “Don’t worry. I’m not expecting roses and a proposal. What I was trying to say is that I wasn’t interested in sex for sex’s sake. I wanted my first time to be with the right person. I respect you, Jonathan. I admire you and I think we’re good friends. That’s why I wanted this.”

  He stared at her, taking in her wide hazel-green eyes and her pale skin. She was young and beautiful and could he really believe her?

  His first thought was no. His second was what on earth was he going to do now?

  Then a sharp cry filled the room. They turned toward the sound and he realized it came from the baby monitor.

  Cynthia sat up. “Someone is awake and hungry. I’d better go see about that.”

  She collected her clothes and walked out of the room, leaving Jonathan feeling like he’d both escaped and been dismissed. He wasn’t sure which he wanted more.

  Now what? Cynthia wondered as she fed the baby. She’d pulled on a robe and socks, and had taken Colton down to the kitchen. As she held the baby she thought that this wasn’t exactly the postromantic moment she’d been thinking about.

  “No offense,” she told the infant.

  Colton didn’t bother to respond.

  A shadow fell across her. She looked up and saw that Jonathan had entered the kitchen. He’d pulled on jeans and a sweater, but his feet were still bare. The sight of his toes was oddly intimate. She noticed that his hair was mussed and he had a catlike contented quality in his eyes.

  Because they’d made love, she thought with some pleasure, and had the sudden desire for them to do it again.

  “I don’t know what to think,” he said, then folded his arms over his chest. “How do you feel about all this?”

  I love you.

  The words came from nowhere and for a second, Cynthia was afraid that she’d spoken them aloud. But Jonathan’s steady gaze didn’t alter, so she figured she was safe.

  He continued to talk, but she wasn’t listening. Instead she thought about those three words and wondered if they were the truth. Did she love him? Is that what this was about? Love? She searched her heart, probing and questioning until the truth appeared with sudden clarity. She did love Jonathan. That was the reason she’d wanted to make love with him. She’d wanted to bond with him in the age-old way women had since the beginning of time. She wanted him to be a part of her. “…and, frankly, I don’t know what to do with you,” he was saying.

  She blinked. “Why do you have to do anything?” She was pleased that her voice sounded so normal. She didn’t want him to know what she was thinking. “Can’t we continue as we were? Or as we are now?” She felt herself blushing at her forwardness, but didn’t look away.

  His expression tightened in what she now recognized as desire. “You mean why can’t we be lovers?”

  “Exactly. I think you liked it and I know I did.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair and turned away. Bracing his arms against the counter, he dropped his head. “You have no idea what you’re saying. This game is beyond you, Cynthia. If you insist on playing, you’re going to get hurt.”

  “I don’t think so,” she said, struggling to keep her tone light. “I know what I want. And it’s you.”

  He spun to face her. She noticed that he was aroused again. If she wasn’t mistaken, there might even be a faint tremor in his hands.

  “Don’t say that,” he growled. “You’re out of your league. I’m too old for you.”

  “Nonsense. If you don’t want me, or are afraid, just say so. Don’t hide behind excuses.”

  He surprised her by smiling. “You are always fearless.” The smile faded. “This is your last warning. You’re not prepared to do this with me.”

  “I’m a grown woman. I know what I want.”

  He didn’t look convinced. “Let’s give it a couple of days. You’ll probably find yourself drowning in second thoughts.”

  “I won’t change my mind,” she said.

  “We’ll see.”

  Chapter 11

  Jonathan escaped to the office early Saturday morning, mostly because he couldn’t stand being at home with Cynthia. Of course being away from her wasn’t that easy, either, so he wasn’t able to get a lot of work done. Mostly what he did was pace and think.

  Think about what it had been like to make love with her. Think about how soft her skin was and how she tasted and smelled and responded. Of the sweet cries as she climaxed and the way she clung to him. Since they’d made love, he’d spent even more time ready to be with her again. It was as if their single act of lovemaking had opened a door better left closed. Now he didn’t have to imagine what it would be like to be with her. He knew…and it was slowly killing him.

  If he was any kind of a decent human being he would find a way to forget what had happened between them and make her forget, too. They were too different to ever have any kind of a relationship and if he didn’t figure out how to end it gracefully, Cynthia was going to get hurt.

  He might be a real bastard, but he didn’t want that. And if there was a way to take back what he’d done—to make her as innocent as she’d been when he’d first met her, he would do it in a heartbeat. No matter the price. He would give up the glory of having been with her to have left her as he’d found her.

  He didn’t want to be the one she remembered when she thought of the first time because he knew however this ended, it would end badly, and it would be his fault.

  He had no experience with a woman like her. Someone who was normal, who had expectations of a forever kind of love and a family. Her world view let her believe that people cared about each other and always did their best, regardless of the personal cost. He believed that everyone was selfish and out for what he could get. There weren’t any heroes. Just regular people constantly on the verge of going bad.

  And yet he didn’t think that about Cynthia. If there was one good person alive, she was the one. He could trust her to lead with her chin and her heart. She wasn’t afraid of getting hurt. Hell, she wasn’t even afraid of him. She would stand up to him because…He frowned. He didn’t know why.

  He paced to the window and stared out at the view of Grand Springs. He couldn’t change the past, however he might like to, but he could affect the future. He had to promise himself that he would continue to stay away from her. He couldn’t touch her again. They could speak about Colton and be pleasant, but no more personal conversations. They would be business associates.

  The phone rang. Jonathan turned and stared at the instrument. Tightness gripped his chest. He had a wild and fleeting hope that it was Cynthia calling him. That would be just like her. To demand that he quit hiding and return home to face her like an adult.

  He crossed to the desk. A smile tugged at his lips. He could anticipate the frustration in her tone and the way she would be so careful not to call him names, even if she was thinking them. She would rip off his hide…in the politest way possible.

  “Steele,” he growled into the receiver.

  �
��Don’t you sound crabby,” a female voice said.

  But it wasn’t Cynthia and his smile faded. “Hello, Martha Jean.”

  She sniffed. “Try to sound a little more enthused, darling, or I’ll think that you want to get out of our date.”

  Date? His brain stalled, then retrieved the memory. Of course. They were supposed to go out tonight. “I remember.”

  “Good. That’s the reason I called. I have a silly committee meeting that’s going to end with a small cocktail party. So I’ll be out and dressed. Instead of you picking me up, why don’t I come get you. Then we can return to my place. For dinner.”

  The last was an afterthought. She wasn’t interested in sharing a meal with him and he was supposed to feel exactly the same. He and Martha Jean had always only wanted one thing from each other. Sex.

  He tried to picture the raven-haired beauty and could not. He couldn’t imagine any other woman except Cynthia. Her hazel eyes and mobile mouth came to him instantly.

  “Is seven all right?” she asked.

  He wanted to tell her no. He wanted to tell her that he could never be with her again because something had fundamentally changed in his life. He wanted to explain that he’d touched something wonderful and good and because of that he could never touch her again.

  Instead he took a deep breath. “Sure. Sounds great.”

  “See you then, lover.”

  She hung up. Jonathan stared at the receiver for several seconds, then replaced it. He felt cold and empty, yet he knew he’d done the right thing. Being with Martha Jean would remind him of who he really was. Going out with her after making love with Cynthia made him a real bastard. Cynthia would be hurt, but eventually she would come to see that it was for the best.