by MK Schiller
“You have to take this seriously, or I might drop you on the lift,” Kyle warned.
Her mouth opened, and her eyes widened. “Don’t lift me.”
“That’s the best part,” Kyle smiled mischievously.
“Kyle, I swear—”
He lifted her before she could finish her sentence.
He was surprised how steady his arms were, but then again she was very light. He looked up at her, amazed at how graceful she seemed, even in her ridiculous pink flannel pajamas. She held her arms and legs out.
“I don’t feel like Jennifer Grey,” she said, staring down at him.
“What do you feel like?” Her hair fell around her and against his arms, encircling him in her sweet, seductive scent.
“Superman.” She giggled, moving her arms up and down.
“That’s not what you look like.”
“What do I look like?” she asked. Kyle’s arms started to shake. Lanie was light, but he was no Patrick Swayze. He stared up at her golden eyes and long auburn hair surrounding them in a curtain. She was quite possibly the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
“Julia Roberts.” In that moment, all Kyle could think of was how badly he wanted Lanie. How desirable she was to him, and the lusty stare she gave him let him know the feelings were reciprocated. He fell back on the bed with her on top of him. The swift fall managed to push the bed a few inches, right into the nightstand, causing a glass lamp to crash onto the oak floor.
“Are you okay?” Kyle asked her. She didn’t answer. Apparently dancing with him had been an aphrodisiac. She forced his mouth open with her tongue and sought out his for another kind of dance. He willingly obliged, letting his hands roam her back until they flexed around her firm, fleshy ass.
Loud pounding interrupted them, and Kyle wondered for a second if it was his heartbeat, but then the whiny voice came through. It was loud and clear despite the barricade of the wall. “What the hell are you doing in there? Brad has to get up early tomorrow,” Cassie shrieked.
“God, your sister is such a cock blocker,” Kyle said through gritted teeth.
Lanie disengaged herself from Kyle and pounded back. “Welcome to my world.”
She came back over to Kyle and tugged at his shirt. He sat up to take it off and swiftly worked on her pants. “You can show me the slow dance later. Right now we’ve got other things to practice.” She removed her pajama top, revealing her naked breasts. Lanie was so free-spirited and sexually aggressive that Kyle had a difficult time remembering she was inexperienced. She almost ripped his pants, tugging them off him with force. He managed to take off her pajama bottoms carefully, but once he saw the delicate, lacy pink panties, he couldn’t help himself. He shredded them right off her body. He pulled her toward him, moving down the bed so his head was near the headboard.
She stroked him in her hand, moving slowly up and down his shaft, until he groaned. “Tell me what you want,” he demanded.
“You,” she said huskily.
“That’s mutual. What do you want me to do to you?”
She thrust her breasts in his direction, but he shook his head. “No, baby, use your words.”
“Suck them,” she said. As soon as the words were out, she clapped her hand to her mouth as if she’d said a bad word.
He moved her hand back to his erection. He pulled her closer and massaged her breasts, manipulating them in his hands, running his thumbs over her nipples before bringing one to his mouth. He slowly ran his tongue over the hardened nipple. She moaned softly, and Kyle knew they were both holding back because if they were louder, the sound would travel and make Lanie uncomfortable. He took his time with each one, caressing, sucking, and gently nibbling until she cried out. “Please. Please. Please.” Kyle smiled as he indulged himself in those perfect mounds. She pulled on his hair, which he took as her nonverbal request for him to change positions. Lanie wasn’t able to express what she wanted, but she didn’t have to. He knew.
He gripped her hips and brought her legs around his waist so she was straddling him. “I want you to lead this dance.”
She looked unsure, so he guided her hips where he needed her and adjusted her over his erection, entering her slowly and then thrusting into her. She moaned louder as he pushed her down. She was already slick with arousal. Kyle sat up and swallowed her sounds in his mouth. She moved tentatively with the aid of his hands.
“Go as fast as you want. You’re in control now. Make yourself come. Make me come,” he whispered against her ear. She put both her hands on his shoulders to steady herself and moved in a rhythm. Kyle moaned, and this time she put her mouth to his, consuming his sounds. He ran his hands down her back, letting his fingernails graze her skin. He disrupted her repetitive motions by thrusting into her. She let out a small yelp of surprise, but her lusty gaze told him she enjoyed it. He did it again and soon they were working in unison. Somewhere in the distance, the melody of the music and the less audible noise of the game were mingling with the guttural, animalistic hums of their mutual pleasure. Kyle drove himself upward, increasing his speed through her climax. He followed shortly after, pulling her toward him, holding her tight. The loudest sound in the room was their bated breaths.
“Kyle?” she whispered.
“Yes, Lanie?” He stiffened, hoping she wasn’t about to ruin the moment with something sentimental. Something he couldn’t reciprocate. It had happened to him so many times, especially after sex, and this was some mighty powerful sex in Kyle’s mind.
“You’re a really good dancer,” she replied, kissing his neck.
He chuckled. “You’re a really good partner.” Lanie always managed to surprise him.
Chapter Eighteen
Kyle watched Lanie talking to some coworkers in front of the bar. One thing was for sure—her law firm knew how to give a party. A sixteen-piece band performed a myriad of songs from contemporary to classic. The room was decked out with plush chairs and festive silver tablecloths. Everyone had just enjoyed a sumptuous meal of filet mignon and lobster roll. The participants were devouring drinks as if they were in the middle of the desert, not in the ballroom of a luxurious hotel. That was, except for Lanie, who enjoyed her virgin daiquiris. Kyle grinned with the thought that they no longer suited her.
She looked lovely tonight in a dark green form-fitting dress. It was short enough to reveal her gorgeous legs and hourglass shape, but understated and elegant too. Green was definitely her color, Kyle thought, transfixed at the sight of those legs, crossed so seductively and capped with sexy heels. He was surprised how much he had missed her in the past few days while he was out of town. He’d called her every night and even suggested they have video sex. Lanie declined. She was still shy about some things. Kyle had thought he would have a fling while in New York, but he wasn’t in the mood, despite the invitation he’d received from a wanton brunette in the hotel bar. He chalked it up to being focused on his task. The interviews had been very successful, and Kyle’s phone continued to ring off the hook.
He’d met for drinks with an associate who was now with the Times. They’d offered him a position there with a generous salary. He’d always dreamed of working at the Times and living in New York. It would be the pinnacle to his career. That was, until the Pulitzer nominations were announced. There was already buzz about that too. New York and the Pulitzer used to be all he thought about. Now he was drifting. A month ago, if he’d been offered such a prestigious opportunity, he wouldn’t have asked for time to think about it. He would have gladly accepted on the spot and given his notice. Now he had a list of reasons to stay. He’d rationalized he was just growing up and thinking about the cons of leaving Rachael and his nephews. He also loved Chicago and his apartment. Moreover, there might even be better job offers now that he was on the road to the Pulitzer.
Part of it confused him, especially when he looked at Lanie. They had no future. Their whole relationship was built on fraud, and Kyle would only hurt her in the end. Despite all that, he felt t
he sharp, lunging pangs of jealousy slicing through him like a million tiny daggers when two men approached her at the bar. One, a tall, broad-shouldered man with sandy brown hair, was especially aggressive. He laughed loudly at something she was saying and kept leaning closer to her. Kyle had never experienced true jealousy until her. A bitter heat rose from the pit of his stomach, and his jaw tightened. He gripped the wineglass so firmly that it was liable to break. He didn’t like these feelings at all. He had no right to own them. He and Lanie had a friendship forged on some loose, misguided goal on her part and some crazy need to assist on his.
Kyle managed to convince himself it wasn’t jealousy, but an innate desire to protect Lanie. After all, she had no idea how desirable she really was. Lanie was a phase that he needed to ride out. He would tire of her eventually. It was just taking longer, much longer in this case. Still, if that guy reached out to stroke her arm again…
“Hi, Manchester.” Brad’s chipper voice interrupted Kyle’s thoughts, irritating him further.
“Jansen, how goes it?” Kyle greeted, although he couldn’t care less how Brad was. His presence always annoyed him these days.
“Pretty good. You?”
“Can’t complain.”
“Lanie looks beautiful,” Brad said, gesturing toward the bar as if Kyle weren’t already looking straight at her.
“Lanie always looks beautiful. What’s your point?” Kyle did not care for Brad’s compliment at all.
“Nothing, man. I’m just saying she looks different. She’s changed since you two started dating,” Brad replied, holding his hands out in a gesture of calming Kyle down. It only served to further aggravate him.
“What do you want?”
“Jeez, you’re an ass today. I just wanted to say hi to my friend. The guy who hasn’t been returning my calls. The one who canceled our last two squash games. The guy I wanted to congratulate on a great article. Have you seen him?”
“Thanks, Brad. Look, I’m sorry. I haven’t been dodging you. I’ve been busy.” Actually, he had been busy, but he’d also been avoiding Brad at any opportunity.
“Yeah…busy with Lanie.”
“Yes. Again, what’s your point?”
“She’s a nice girl. Break up with her now before she gets too deep. You’ve had your fun with her.”
Kyle turned to Brad, suddenly wondering if he should laugh or punch him in the face. “I’m not going to hurt her.” Kyle almost added that if anyone was going to hurt her, it would be Brad, but he caught himself.
“Kyle, I know you. Think about her.”
“Maybe I’m different too.” Kyle had no idea where the thought had come from, but it sounded right to him. “And what Lanie and I do is none of your business, so back the fuck off.”
Brad narrowed his eyes, giving Kyle a hard stare. “It is my business because I set you up. I wanted you to take her out for dinner, not start some twisted relationship with her. Are you forgetting who you are? You’re the guy who had sex with my prom date in the boys’ bathroom.” Brad smacked his head in an exaggerated gesture. “Oh, but I forgot, your prom date was there too.” He held out his wineglass in a mock toast. “You’re always a gentleman, aren’t you?”
Kyle chuckled, recalling the incident. It had taken Brad a week to forgive him, but he eventually did. “My memory is that you were wasted, throwing up on the football field. I was being a gentleman, looking after your date and keeping mine happy at the same time. You should thank me. I made sure prom was a great memory for those girls.”
“Do you think Lanie’s the kind of girl who’s into that stuff?”
Kyle suddenly felt remorseful, worried about how Lanie would react to such a story, not that Brad would ever tell her. “I appreciate your concern, but I won’t hurt her.”
“She needs someone who will be there for her.”
Kyle’s fist clenched as his remorse catapulted to anger.
Kyle turned to Brad, eyes blazing. “Like you were there for Rachael when she needed you?”
Brad’s face turned ashen. They hadn’t spoken about it for years. Buried, but not forgotten.
“That’s not fair. You forgave me for that.”
“I’m reconsidering that.” He let his words sink in, but neither man spoke for a minute, both choosing to polish off their drinks. Kyle was done with the conversation and found himself further irked at Brad for distracting him from the lechers sitting next to Lanie. “I have to go. The vultures are circling my girlfriend.” The word girlfriend felt foreign to Kyle, and it must have sounded off because Brad raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Those are just guys she works with. They’re probably talking shop.”
“God, are you really this dense? Here’s the deal, Jansen. I don’t like guys ogling Lanie, present company included. Are we clear?”
Brad held his hands out and actually staggered back against Kyle’s steely gaze. “Wow, did you turn psycho overnight? I’m dating her sister. I would never cheat on Cassie.”
Kyle sighed before giving him the tightest smile. “I know that, and right now that’s the only thing I like about you.”
He walked off, leaving Brad stunned speechless. He knew he was being an awful friend, and, if anything, Brad was the innocent one in this whole scheme. Lanie wasn’t even that guilty. She wasn’t illicit or inappropriate in any way in Brad’s presence. She was really just waiting for the world to fall into place for her. In many ways, Kyle felt like the evil instigator in this crazy mess. The man at the bar placed a strand of Lanie’s hair behind her ear. Smoke magically emanated from Kyle’s ears.
“Let’s dance,” he said, taking her hand possessively.
“Oh, Kyle, this is Adam Stone. I work with him,” she said, gesturing to the sandy-haired man. The other one had disappeared thankfully. Kyle regarded him coldly. Adam smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, confirming all of Kyle’s suspicions.
“Adam.” Kyle grasped Adam’s hand, crushing it in his own, and was pleased by the wince in the other man’s expression. “Nice to meet you. Please excuse us. I promised my girlfriend a dance tonight.”
He led Lanie out to the dance floor as “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles started playing. He grasped Lanie in his arms a little too tightly, whispering in her ear, “Just remember how we practiced.”
“Kyle, you’re laying it on a little thick,” Lanie replied.
“I thought I was just being attentive.”
“You are. Thanks for coming tonight.”
“You look beautiful, Lanie.” She looked away from him as she often did when he complimented her.
“Do you like the dress?” She asked the question with apprehension.
Kyle stared at it, realizing what it was that made Lanie look even more tantalizing tonight, a feat he didn’t think was possible. The dress she wore was low cut in front. She never wore anything that revealed her chest due to the scar. It had an asymmetrical strap that perfectly covered the scar. How odd it would be in just the right place.
“I like it very much, and I’m going to love taking it off you later.”
“Your sister helped me pick it out,” she said.
Kyle felt her tense in his arms and knew it was the dancing. He rubbed her back until her muscles loosened. “When you went shopping on Saturday?” Kyle had seen most of her purchases when she was putting her clothes away, and he would have definitely noticed this dress.
“No, I called her the other day. She actually had her seamstress readjust the strap for me,” Lanie replied. Kyle was pleased Rachael and Lanie had bonded. He would never have considered introducing any other girl he was seeing to his sister for that reason. But Lanie wasn’t another girl, and they weren’t dating…not technically.
“You would look gorgeous even if the strap didn’t exist.”
“I couldn’t do that. People stare and ask questions. It’s uncomfortable.” He couldn’t imagine how Lanie had to struggle with so many choices around that scar. He
wanted to ask her what had caused it, but it was apparent she wasn’t ready to talk about it.
“Did Rachael tell you what her husband does for a living?”
Lanie stared down, but Kyle moved his hand from her waist to tilt her chin so she was looking at him. “Yes, she told me he’s a plastic surgeon, and he could make it disappear. I’m thinking about it.”
“I only brought it up because it affects you so much. I think you look amazing just the way you are.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” He could hear the doubt in her voice. She didn’t believe him, but it wouldn’t do any good to say more. It would just make her uncomfortable.
“What were you and Adam talking about? He seemed kind of touchy-feely with you.”
“I was wondering about that. I’ve worked with him for years, and I didn’t think he knew my name. I think he was flirting with me. He asked me to lunch next week.”
Kyle struggled to make his voice clear, knowing his hands were shaking slightly. “Are you going to lunch with him?”
She shrugged. Kyle had an urge to take her by those shoulders and shake her. “I don’t know. He seems nice, and maybe I should broaden my horizons.” Kyle’s body tensed as soon as she said it. She must have felt it too because she backed away and looked at his face.
“Why do you have to broaden?” Kyle didn’t even know if she meant dating or more, but either way he disapproved.
“It can’t hurt to get more…perspective.”
“I don’t offer you enough…perspective? That kind of offends me.” Kyle tried to relax his face into a smile, but he was finding it difficult. It was a grimace at best.
“You’re acting weird. What are you trying to say?”
“I don’t think you should see anyone else while we’re together.” He spun her around, wanting to dismiss the surprised look on her face and give himself another second to think.
“Why?”
Why? As a journalist, Kyle chided himself for not expecting her to ask the most obvious question. He braced himself to pull off the most manipulative lie he could conjure.
