Tempted in the City

by Jo Leigh

  “Perfect. I can’t wait,” she said.

  “Me, neither.” As soon as they disconnected, he realized she hadn’t told him why she’d called.

  * * *

  TONY GOT TO the subway entrance early. He hated that he couldn’t pick her up at her place, but it would defeat the purpose of sneaking away if everyone saw them walking together, her with an overnight bag in hand. Nothing was going to spoil this trip. Having her all to himself, no distractions, no Dom barging in. Tony still hadn’t gotten over that one.

  He saw her walking up the stairs and he raced down to meet her, taking her suitcase before he gave her a quick kiss. For some reason he hadn’t expected her to wear jeans, a T-shirt and a light jacket, even though it was perfect attire for what promised to be a warm spring day.

  “You’re early,” she said.

  “So are you. Come on,” he said, touching the small of her back. “It’s only a short walk.”

  “We’re staying in SoHo?”

  “Not even close. But we are making a quick stop before we head out.”

  The Park-It was only a block away, and he was a little too excited to show her the car he’d borrowed for the trip.

  “You own a cherry-red Mustang?”

  “No, but I did make a friend who would let me borrow his.”

  She grinned. “How clever of you.”

  “Always thinking ahead.” When he popped the trunk, he almost pointed out the elaborate sound system mounted in the trunk, but he held back.

  Once they were both settled inside the car, he was ready to head straight for the I-95, but Catherine wanted coffee and that sounded like a great idea. They hit the first coffee place they saw, but she had to go in while he double parked. Having a car in New York sucked. But soon enough they were on their way out of the city.

  “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

  “Nope.”

  “Okay, what if I guess?”

  “I’ll tell you the truth if you get it right.”

  “Can I ask questions?”

  “Sure you can.”

  She stared at him for a long moment and then laughed. “I can ask but you won’t answer.”

  Tony just smiled.

  Catherine turned in her seat, so she was looking more at him than the road ahead. “Will you tell me if I’m hot or cold?”

  “You’re always hot.”

  “Good answer. Is it an hour away?”

  “Cold.”

  “Half an hour?” she asked, her voice as innocent as a child’s, but he was onto her.

  “Colder, and no you can’t go through every time on the clock.”

  “Not fair,” she said, and pouted just enough to make him want to kiss her.

  “You’re right. Let’s get creative. After we get to the interstate, all right?”

  “Absolutely. Which interstate?”

  “I-95.”

  She was quiet, and he looked over to find her frowning. “That’s not helpful at all. I have no idea where that goes.”

  Tony smiled. This was the best idea he’d had in years. Except for a brand-new idea that popped into his head. There was a gas station up ahead, and he turned into it but didn’t park by the pumps. Instead, he stopped the car at the far end of the lot, where they could have some privacy.

  “Is something wrong with the car?”

  He undid his seat belt and turned to her. “What’s wrong is that I haven’t had a single real kiss. That’s not going to work.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” she said, her voice turning to a whisper as he cupped her neck and brushed his thumb over her cheekbone.

  She met him halfway and the moment he touched her lips with his own he felt better. He hadn’t felt stressed, yet muscles relaxed all the way down his back.

  A single touch of her tongue on his lower lip changed the soft caress into something wilder, although he couldn’t forget where they were. But just because it had to be brief didn’t mean it wasn’t great. It thrilled him, as always, when he heard her pleasure in a whimper, when she ran her fingers through the back of his hair.

  A horn honked, breaking the mood very effectively, but when he turned to look at the bastard who’d interrupted, he saw it wasn’t about them at all.

  “Better?” she asked.

  “Much. Need anything before we continue?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, pausing, a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Do I?”

  Tony laughed. “Very sneaky. Good to know that about you early in the—” His brain shorted. He’d almost said relationship. This was it for them. Several stolen weeks, maybe even months, but that was all he could see for them. There was still a very good chance Catherine wouldn’t stick around. Damn, he hoped he hadn’t spooked her.

  But no, she just looked at him, her lips curving up in a beautiful, soft smile.

  * * *

  BY THE TIME they hit the interstate, Catherine had finished her coffee and had talked more about her work, and what it had taken to get assigned to the New York office. It was so easy with Tony. His interest was real, which made a huge difference, and she shared his enthusiasm to use their time in the car to get to know all kinds of safe things about each other. Like his most memorable vacations and what sports he’d played in high school. She loved every second of it, but she hadn’t forgotten his earlier suggestion about getting creative.

  “Okay,” she said, “I think we should do what you suggested and stop talking about such ordinary things.”

  “I did say that, didn’t I?” He gave her a look she thought was him making a decision, but as usual, she wasn’t 100 percent sure.

  “How about,” he said, “some truth or dare?”

  “Really? The kids’ game?”

  “It’s only a kids’ game if children are playing.”

  “Ah, but I don’t have much in the way of illicit secrets.”

  He reached over the console and took her hand in his. “I don’t care if they’re illicit. I just want to use this time wisely. You fascinate me, Ms. Fox.”

  “So, shouldn’t we just be playing truth?”

  His laugh made her warm inside. “Okay. Truth it is. You get the first question.”

  “Brave boy. Um, give me a second. There are a lot of things I want to ask.” She squeezed his hand, and got more courageous when he squeezed back. “Okay. Why didn’t you and your ex have kids?”

  He coughed. “Whoa. You don’t mess around.”

  “If it’s too personal—”

  “It’s not,” he said. “We agreed. Truth. I wanted children right away, but Angie didn’t. She wanted to pursue other interests before becoming a mom.”

  “Other interests?”

  “She tried her hand at a few things. Writing. Painting. But she ended up becoming a personal chef in Tribeca. She and a friend from writing class went into business together. It’s pretty successful, considering the competition.”

  “Wow, good for her. Does she specialize in Italian cooking?”

  “Nope. Healthy eating. She knows every diet plan in the world, so it suits her. Besides, I think it was her way of thumbing her nose at my mother, who never let her forget she wasn’t the best Italian cook.”

  “Interesting,” Catherine said. “And you didn’t mind putting off the children?”

  “Not at all. And I didn’t care if she wanted to work after we had kids. Although my attitude didn’t go over very big with her family. Or mine. You’ve seen they live in a time warp.”

  “I’m getting that, more and more. Although it seems your generation is quite different.”

  “Yeah. I agree. But that’s been a mixed blessing. A lot of the people I went to school with have moved out. Mostly to Jersey or Queens, but I know a number of people w
ho moved out of state. Even Dominic wants to move uptown. Get away from the old neighborhood. He’s pretty determined to see how far his wings can spread.”

  “Modeling?”

  “Nah. He uses his looks, but he wouldn’t want that to be the basis of his success. And I believe it’s way past my turn.”

  “Shoot.”

  He changed lanes, then settled in again, still holding on to her hand. “Why aren’t you married?”

  “What kind of a question is that?”

  “One I don’t know the answer to. You’re gorgeous, smart, confident, engaging. I can’t imagine men aren’t lining up. That guy who wants to take you to that dinner, for example. He’s exactly the kind of man I imagine you with. Not some blue-collar contractor like me.”

  Catherine studied him, taken aback not just by his description of her, but by his perception of himself. “I can say the exact same thing about you.”

  “You kind of already did the other night.”

  “Oh.” She remembered. Not quite the same, but okay. “Anyway, I’m not married because I haven’t been with anyone I loved enough.”

  “But you’ve been in love?”

  “That’s a new question, and I get to ask mine next.”

  “Right, yes,” he said. “Go for it. This is pretty interesting.”

  “How old were you the first time you had sex?”

  He laughed. “I didn’t see that one coming, either. I was fifteen. She was seventeen.”

  Catherine turned just a little bit more, wanting to see as much of his face as she could. “What’s the age of consent in New York?”

  “We were both within the law.”

  “Were you nervous?”

  “Of course. I was fifteen. She was hot, and she made me swear to God I wouldn’t tell anyone. And believe me, at that age, keeping that secret was far more difficult than it sounds. I think you’re the first person I’ve told.”

  “No. What about your brothers?”

  “I wouldn’t have trusted them with something like that. Besides, they were just kids.”

  “Huh. Was it a one-time thing or did you keep seeing her?”

  “Hold up, Sherlock,” he said, raising his brows at her. “I think you’re way over the question limit.”

  “I know, but it’s so much fun.”

  “Well, let’s see how much fun it is when you’re answering the same question.”

  “God, I was eighteen. I didn’t have great feelings about the guy I was with, I just didn’t want to be a virgin anymore.”

  “Who was he?”

  “He was studying math at Howard while I was getting my undergraduate work done at Georgetown. We were at a party together, and we went back to my dorm room and did the deed.”

  “And?”

  She rolled her eyes, not loving this particular question, but her quest to find out everything about Tony required some give to her take. “The earth didn’t move. It was over fast, he was a lousy kisser and we never saw each other again.”

  “Romantic.”

  “I’m sure you were a regular Don Juan your first time.”

  He didn’t quite roll his eyes, but she got the gist. “On the plus side, I was raring to go again ten minutes later.”

  “That’s a big plus.”

  “Except her parents came home and I sprained my ankle jumping out of her window while making my escape. I was on the football team. My coach was not happy.”

  “But you were.”

  “Totally worth it. Although now I prefer quality over quantity.”

  Catherine brought their twined hands up to her lips and gave his a gentle kiss. “And may I say you are very good at what you do.”

  “Suddenly quantity seems like the best idea ever. There should be a turnoff soon. We can find a motel. Check in for a couple of hours.”

  “Tempting, but I’m too anxious to get where we’re going.”

  He sighed, smiling. “I can’t wait to see your face.”

  14

  THE REST OF the five-hour trip flew by. They stopped for lunch at a place called Pat’s Hubba Hubba, just off the interstate. She’d called in their order, and once they were back on the road, they ate their sinfully delicious hot dogs and chased them down with extrafizzy sodas.

  When they arrived at their destination, the Dan’l Webster Inn & Spa in Sandwich, Massachusetts, Catherine was awestruck.

  The colonial-style building was painted a stately deep red. With the lush grounds that surrounded it, it looked like something out of a movie. After stopping at reception, they were quickly escorted to a stunning luxury suite complete with a four-poster king bed, a sitting room, a spa tub set in its own half gazebo in an alcove next to the bedroom, and a view that looked out over the beautifully manicured garden and swimming pool.

  Catherine should have tipped the bellman, but by the time she’d turned from the window, he was gone and Tony was putting his wallet back in his jeans pocket. The way he wore his jeans, low on the hips, made her stomach twist in the best possible way. “This is a wonderful surprise,” she said, slowly making her way toward him, purposefully giving him time to plan his next move. “Better than what I had guessed.”

  “And what was that?”

  “I’m not saying.”

  He laughed, making her grin. Of all his facial expressions, she liked this one the best. Then he sobered as he stared into her eyes, and she wondered if he could see how much this treat meant to her, and how she couldn’t wait for him to lose the shirt and the jeans.

  “I booked us both into the spa in about an hour and a half.”

  “Really? A couples massage?”

  Tony walked over to the coffee table, where a bottle of champagne was chilling in an ice bucket. He picked the whole thing up and brought it over to the spa tub. Before he popped the cork, he turned on the water. “Thought about it, but no. I wanted you to pick whichever treatment you like best. And to have some alone time to chill.”

  He joined her, standing in front of the bed, where he pulled her into a kiss that melted her right down to her toes. His body pressed against her, all hard and taut, his blooming erection jutting against her hip.

  “There’s a lot we could do in an hour and a half,” she whispered, before taking his earlobe between her teeth.

  “Once I saw how your eyes lit up seeing the tub, I had the bellman cancel the bikes I reserved.”

  She leaned back. “Bikes?”

  “It’s a pretty town. Older than dust. There’s a lot to see, and I know how much you like old buildings.”

  “So sweet,” she said, kissing him quickly on the lips. “The most considerate man in the world.” Kissing him again, she moved just enough so that she could unbutton his shirt from the top down.

  “Old buildings are overrated, anyway,” he said, seconds before he pulled her T-shirt over her head.

  “We can use the bikes tomorrow morning,” she said. “Maybe go find an interesting breakfast place, do some sightseeing before we have to leave.

  “Great. I...” His voice trailed off as he came in for another round of kissing.

  Somehow, they both ended up naked, and while the tub filled, he maneuvered her against the wall that separated the bedroom from the tub area. He pulled her arms high and held her wrists there with one hand while he did amazing things to her neck and collarbones. She’d have to dress carefully for a while to hide the marks he was leaving on her skin, which was more than fine by her.

  Her moans were louder than they probably should have been, but she wasn’t about to stop. When he let her go, Catherine lowered herself into the hot tub. Tony poured them champagne, then retrieved a small box of chocolates, and brought everything to within arm’s reach. The whole time she checked him out with a thoroughness that would’ve
made her squirm if their roles had been reversed. “You are by far,” she said, “the best-looking naked man I’ve ever seen.”

  He might’ve grinned, but she didn’t know for sure, since she couldn’t drag her gaze away from his erection.

  “Seen a lot, then, have you? Naked men?”

  “My share. But none of them have made me feel like this.”

  “Like what?”

  She blushed and burst into laughter.

  His arm muscles bunched as he lowered himself into the water. “Come on, like what?” he said, as he handed her one of the flutes.

  “Nope.” She shook her head, then took a hurried sip of champagne.

  Without missing a beat he leaned in and kissed the taste of the bubbly right off her tongue.

  When he drew back, she chased his lips for a second, until she realized he was getting comfortable and settling into the tub directly across from her. Before she could stop herself, she stretched her foot between his legs to where his cock was bobbing delightfully. “What’s your opinion on foot jobs?” she asked.

  “I’ve never had one before,” he said. “And while I think it’s a great experiment to try, the timing could be better.”

  “You mean that I should wait until we’re ready to get out?”

  He nodded, his gaze sweeping down to her chest. “Not just out, but when we’re ready to go to bed. Besides, I really like the view from here.”

  She glanced down at her naked breasts. “They are bouncing nicely, aren’t they?”

  “I’m so glad this isn’t a bubble bath. We would have missed so much.”

  Her laughter made her jiggle and she saw the glint in his eyes. She grabbed her glass and sipped again. “This is exceptionally good champagne. In fact, this whole place is exceptional. Have you stayed here before?”

  “No, I haven’t. A friend recommended it if I ever came up this way.”

  “I love that this suite has the tub so close to the bed. Such a clever idea. And the amenities here are amazing. Did this champagne come with?”

  “Champagne does come with, but this bottle was a special request.”

  God, she liked this man. More than she’d imagined she could. It hadn’t even been that long since the day they’d met, and yet he knew her in so many little ways. This was one of her top five champagnes, and she had no doubt that dinner would be as perfect.