All her talk of being naughty tonight had seemed so easy when the object of her desire was miles away. Now that he was here, she felt nervous and inept. She should open the garage and park her car, but instead she pushed the button to lower her car window and watched him saunter toward her, his gait smooth and slow. The closer he got, the larger, sexier, and more overwhelming he seemed. And the more she tensed.
“Sorry I’m late,” Kara said in a breathless voice she didn’t recognize as hers.
He leaned down and flashed his devastating smile, his eyes flickering to her mouth and staying there.
“You’re worth the wait.” He opened her door and offered her his hand.
Kara switched off the engine and stepped out of her car, the cool night air splashing goose bumps all over her bare arms and waxed legs. Baron’s warm hands closed around her arms, his large body effectively blocking the cold as he pressed her against the car. Kara lifted her head and their eyes connected, her lips tingling with anticipation. He slid his palm up and down her arm. The gesture probably meant to warm her but instead hurled a need so intense through her body she trembled.
“You’re cold.” His voice was tender.
“Not anymore.”
Baron laughed, his hand moving from her arms to hold her face in place as his head dipped. The kiss didn’t start gentle, no nips and licks like their previous bouts of foreplay. It was hard and plundering, a sexual possession. His tongue thrust between her lips, sweeping inside to mate with hers while his hot body ground against hers. She gave into the kiss, feelings mushrooming inside of her until her mind went foggy and her lungs starved for air.
Baron yanked his head back to growl, “God, you taste good.”
He tilted her head with his thumb and gave his mouth access to her neck, nuzzled the sensitive area around her ear. “Smell heavenly too. I could feast on you all day long.”
Her blood sang at his words. She gripped his shirt and said, “Kiss me again.”
It wasn’t a request. It came out as an order but Kara refused to feel an ounce of embarrassment. Not when Baron complied.
The kiss slowed, becoming deeper and languid, tongues caressing and savoring. His urgent hands skimmed down her sides, discovering the dips and curves of her body, a little rough and relentless until they cupped her buttocks and anchored her against his erection. When he finally pulled back, one hand gripped her waist while the other hugged her upper back to hold her tightly in his arms. They were both breathing hard, shaking, trying to find their balance.
“We need to go inside,” he said in a voice still rough with arousal.
Kara nodded, incapable of speaking without unladylike panting.
Cold air skidded over her skin when he stepped back and gave her breathing room, but inside her the flame burned brighter and hotter like nothing she’d ever experienced. Part of her was thrilled, another part was panicky. Was it normal to have your body and mind, every last one of your senses centered on one person? Did it matter? For once in her life she was experiencing something beyond her expectations and she’d be a fool to try to label it.
Kara reached the door only to realize she didn’t have her purse or her keys. She turned to see Baron reaching inside her car. He removed her keys from where she’d left them in the ignition and lifted her purse from the front passenger seat. Instead of feeling embarrassed, she smiled.
Baron locked Kara’s car and looked up to find her grinning at him. She looked magnificent with her hair flowing down her back, her figure-hugging dress showing those sleek sexy legs and her lips swollen from his kisses. He couldn’t leave without making love to her tonight. His mind warred with his body, raw primal passion colliding with fantasies of her long legs wrapped around him. Sheer will won. No, he refused to make love to her and scurry from her bed because she had a bar mitzvah to attend. When he finally made love to Kara, he didn’t want to be rushed. He planned to savor the moment, keep loving her until they were both satiated.
Baron walked to where she stood, lifted her chin, and for a moment studied her heart-shaped face under the patio security light—the hazel eyes now darkened with passion, the delicious mouth puffy. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was, how precious. Instead he brushed his lips over hers, their breaths mingling, need hovering thick and heavy between them.
“We need to talk,” he murmured.
Confusion flashed in her eyes.
“Okay. Thanks for getting my purse and locking my car.” Once she unlocked the door and they got inside the house, she threw him a questioning look over her shoulder. “Do you want something to drink? Wine, soft drinks, or coffee?”
“I’ll have some wine.” He followed her to the kitchen, watching the fluid motion of her shapely buttocks under her dress. He needed to focus on something else. Fast. “Ralph Douglas called me earlier this evening.”
She closed the fridge door, a bottle of red wine in her hand and a frown on her face. “The owner of the Hallè? Why?”
“Don’t misunderstand. He loved the work you did and couldn’t sing your praises enough. But he needed to know which one of the framers you recommended he should go with. Why didn’t you tell him you could frame it for him?”
Kara leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. “Because I’m not open for business yet.”
He heard her defensive tone and frowned. Her business was obviously a touchy subject, something he hoped to rectify tonight. “He’s not in a hurry.”
She studied him suspiciously. “Why are you telling me this?”
“I told him about your store and he liked the idea of working with you again.”
She cocked a perfectly shaped brow. “You’re drumming up business for me?”
“Sure. In this business, friends help each other.”
She shook her head then laughed. “But last night you acted…never mind.” She rummaged inside a drawer and came up with a corkscrew but instead of opening the bottle, she studied him with a weird expression, a cross between bemusement and exasperation. “You’re very unpredictable, Baron Fitzgerald.”
“Is that good or bad?” He took the wine from her hand and slowly inserted the opener in the cork.
“Good…so far.”
He grinned. “I can work with that.”
Kara retrieved two wine glasses from a cupboard, placed them between them and leaned against the counter, inadvertently offering him a view of her delectable cleavage from the neckline of her dress. A relentless ache curled in his stomach, reminding him of what they could be doing right now instead of talking. The cork came out with a slight pop and he poured the wine into the glasses.
“Tell me about your big plans,” Baron said.
“You mean my store?” Her voice teased. She picked up her glass and walked ahead of him to the living room.
He grinned. “Yeah, your store. It should be up and running in a few months, right?”
“You talked to your mother.”
“If you mean she mentioned the lunch the two of you had, then yes. She didn’t say anything out of line, did she? My mother has a knack of speaking her mind, which can be very unsettling.”
Kara kicked off her shoes, curled one leg under her, and sat. When she realized he was still standing with his gaze on her exposed thighs, she indicated the opposite end of the sofa. “Please.”
She sipped her wine and waited for him to sit. “Actually, your mother was very subtle. I enjoyed talking to her.”
Baron couldn’t help feeling there was something she wasn’t telling him. “But?”
“But nothing. We had an interesting chat, promised to do it again, and that was that.” She took another sip of her drink and put her glass on the coffee table. “So what do you want to know about my store?”
“Everything.” Baron propped his shoulder against the back of the sofa and listened to her talk. Really listened without passing judgment or thinking about what he wanted. He soon realized just how much she’d researched the business. From the location she
chose for her store to having her father design the frames, her decisions were all sensible. Her enthusiasm made him realize his mother was right. It would be wrong to stop Kara from following her dream or to make her do things his way.
“I’ll use the frames my father completed for displays but I’ll also have a catalogue with some of the designs he’s working on before I open.”
“What about prints to display in the frames?”
“I found a few local artists who sell prints of their original works but I haven’t bought anything yet.”
“Use mine.”
A hopeful expression crossed her face. “You mean….”
“Prints of the swamp photographs in the gallery,” he finished and received a radiant smile from her. The way her hazel eyes lit held him mesmerized for a spell. “I also have a few more you haven’t seen yet. I can bring the thumb drive with them on it to Idaho for you to look through.”
She fixed her gaze on him, paused as though rearranging her thoughts. “Okay, you want to tell me what’s going on? Why you’re being so sweet?”
Baron grimaced. “I object to the word ‘sweet.’”
“Nice…supportive…you know what I mean.”
He got a warm, fuzzy feeling when she smiled at him like she was doing now, which he rather liked a lot. “I get free publicity so I’m being totally selfish.”
Kara rolled her eyes. “You don’t need free publicity, Baron. Seriously, I’ve already agreed to have an affair with you. You don’t have to score points by doing nice things for me.”
Didn’t she know he’d do just about anything for her? It had nothing to do with luring her into his bed. Baron wasn’t sure how it happened, but her happiness had become more important to him than anything.
He drained the last of his wine, put the glass on the table and knelt next to her folded leg. Holding onto the back and the arm of the sofa to support his body, he leaned forward and neatly boxed her in. Her expression, half expectant and half wary, aroused a primitive thrill in him and male need rampaged through his blood.
“Maybe I’m just a nice guy,” he whispered against her lips and stole a kiss. Her eyes darkened with passion. “Or maybe it makes me happy to do nice things for you.”
She let out a shaky breath and reached up to caress his cheek, her gaze heavy-lidded. “Maybe?”
He turned his head and kissed her fingers. “Yes. I’d rather you find out the truth by yourself.”
“I like that,” she whispered in a husky voice.
“Just like I intend to find out all your little secrets, Kara Michaels.”
She blinked, uncertainty crossing her beautiful face. “I don’t have any secrets.”
Was she kidding? How else could she know just how to turn him on with a mere look, kiss him until he wanted to rip her clothes off and bury himself inside her? Even now, unbridled longing coursed through him as her fingers roamed his face, traced the scar on his chin, and caressed the corner of his mouth.
“Yes you do.” He lowered his head and claimed her mouth.
She lifted her arms, wrapped them around his neck and pulled him closer, sliding down until her head rested on the arm of the sofa. He stared at the perfection of her face, the air between them pulsating with need. His gaze shifted lower to her chest, to the hardened nipples that beckoned to him as they pushed against her dress. A groan escaped his lips. How could he walk away from her? The willpower he’d been so proud of earlier evaporated.
“I’d planned to leave early tonight but you’re not making it easy.” The gruffness in his voice surprised him.
“Early? Why?” Kara whispered, her fingers caressing the back of his head.
He hesitated, not sure just what he’d be revealing with his confession. He mentally shrugged. It didn’t matter. He was through playing games.
“I want our first time together to be perfect.” Baron waited for her to say something but Kara fell silent, her eyes serious, and her hands stopped their gentle exploration. The silence continued. Regret followed, and his face grew hot.
“I meant I won’t be able to stop—”
“Shh.” She placed her finger on his lips. “That was the sweetest and sexiest thing a man has ever said to me.”
Baron grinned. “Really?”
“Really. Now will you stop torturing me with small talk and kiss me.”
He dropped his head and claimed her mouth. Her lips opened under his, passionate and yielding, sweet and addictive. He slid his hand under the hem of her dress. Her skin was warm, smooth, and soft. What would it taste like? He hoped to find out tonight. She shivered, but his relentless hand kept moving upward, greedily stroking, and worshipping her curves, past the lacey edge of her thong to her silken belly.
He pulled away from the kiss, his breathing shallow. Kara slowly opened her eyes and the hunger in them sent a primal thrill through him. His eyes shifted to her dress.
“Take it off,” he commanded.
Confusion flashed in her eyes. “My dress?”
“Yes.” He shifted back to give her space and watched her bunch the hem of her dress then pull it over her head. Her mood shifted as she revealed a lacey black bra and matching skimpy lace thong. She dropped her head and her hair swung to hide her face. His baby was shy? He hoped to cure her of that soon but for now, no need to make her even more self-conscious by pointing out her wariness.
He reached behind her, deftly unhooked the bra and flung it aside. He stared at the contours of her breasts. Pure perfection, he wanted to say, but words failed him. The tips rose tight and pink against her skin, begging to be savored. He reached out and trailed his knuckles down her warm chest, over the taut nipples. She shivered and arched her back, her breathing short and choppy.
“I’ve often fantasized about these,” he told her softly, stroking and exploring the plump mounds, loving the way they filled his palms.
“They’re not drool-worthy.” Her voice shook with uncertainty.
“They’re perfect.”
He toed off his shoes, rearranged her legs so she was straddling him then leaned forward and slowly swirled his tongue around one ripe nipple. Kara moaned and gripped his head. Her response, uninhibited and intense, drove him out of his mind. He eased her backward and tenderly took one of the sensitive nubs in his mouth.
Kara whimpered, her hand creeping up around his neck to cradle him close. The sounds from her mouth made him feel invincible, her shivers echoing his. He planned to make up for lost years, bring her to climax over and over again until she surrendered herself completely to him. Tonight was just the beginning. He moved to the other breast, indulged himself while lavishing it with all the attention it deserved.
Baron moved lower, his insatiable hands competing with his mouth as he stroked and explored her ribs, the sensitive skin on her sides, her back. Kara ran her hands over his head, his shoulders, her fingers digging into his flesh, egging him on. He dipped his tongue into her sexy belly button, grazed the gentle swell of her stomach with his teeth and heard her release a breathy gasp.
The scent of her arousal, musky and flowery, teased his senses. His arm shook…hell, his whole body shook, the need to feel her heat so great it hurt. He gripped the thong covering her silken flesh and pushed it down over her ass to her thighs.
“Baron?” she whispered, his name coming out disjointed.
He nuzzled her belly one last time and lifted his head. She looked sexy, glorious with her eyes half-closed and dewy, sweat dotting her skin. His hands stayed busy, caressing and exploring, moving around to cover the most intimate part of her body. She whimpered but didn’t shy away. The heat of her, the wetness soaking his palm sent blood roaring in his ears.
“I want to please you so much it’s killing me.” His fingers teased her tender folds and the sensitive nub. Nothing intense, just slight brushes guaranteed to drive her crazy. His gaze stayed on her face, waiting for the signal to take things up a notch. That her movements were restricted by the thong around her thighs didn�
�t bother him. He would work around it, make the climax memorable. “Tell me you want this.”
Kara squirmed and lifted her hips to press against his hand, silently answering him. He slipped a finger in her molten heat and she gasped at the invasion. He wasn’t playing fair, he knew that, but he wanted to make her come so badly he could taste it. “Talk to me, baby.”
“I don’t want you to stop.”
“Thank goodness.”
She giggled, her body convulsing when he added another finger and stroked her. “Not fair. You’re fully clothed.”
He laughed though mirth was the last thing on his mind. Touching her was pure heaven and torture rolled into one. He imagined how he would feel buried inside her, giving selflessly, receiving abundantly, and groaned. No, sex with Kara went beyond wanting her to surrender. He wanted to please her, make her the happiest woman in the entire universe.
“Tonight is your night, baby. It’s all about you.” He let her go long enough to slide off the flimsy thong, spread her smooth, toned thighs and finally tasted her female essence.
Sweet and creamy. Intoxicating.
Baron ignored her whimpering protests as he lapped, caressed, and suckled. Her breath hitched and her hips jerked, but he didn’t stop. Her hands came down to grip his head as she writhed. He was so hungry for her, desperate to please as he increased the intensity. Her fingers dug into his scalp as she shuddered and screamed out his name.
Baron pulled her into his arms, held her until the tremors subsided. Then he scooped her up and carried her into her bedroom. The light from the hallway spilled into the room. He laid her against the pillows on top of the coral floral duvet, kissed her lips and dropped his forehead to hers.
Her eyes fluttered open and she reached up to touch his face fleetingly. “Are you finally going to remove your clothes?”
There was nothing he wanted more. He reached for his shirt then remembered. “Do you have any condoms?”
Kiss Me Crazy Page 19
