Before We Kiss

by Susan Mallery

  “If I weren’t married, I’d want me some of that,” she said.

  Dellina agreed. And lucky for her, she wasn’t married.

  * * *

  SAM HAD DISCOVERED shortly after moving to town that Fool’s Gold was a place that loved its festivals. He and the guys had been bombarded with prepared meals during the Great Casserole Cook-Off and he’d taken his older sister to the Tulip Festival. She’d been impressed by the acres of flowers that stretched for what seemed like miles.

  The Summer Festival seemed to be part arts and crafts, part music celebration with lots of food and plenty of tourists. Sam walked with several clients as they explored the various booths. His group didn’t have any kids with them but he knew some of the others did. Dellina had arranged for Fayrene and the babysitters to be on hand if any extra care was needed.

  Fayrene had brought the Pomeranian she was taking care of with her and, from what he could tell, the little pooch was a hit. One of the wives had stopped him in the hotel that morning to say that her daughter had had a wonderful time the night before and couldn’t stop talking about the darling little dog who had been so warm and friendly with them all. Apparently Caramel was an equal opportunity cuddler. Something Sam could have respected when he was younger, but not so much now. He preferred to keep his personal life simple and that meant one woman at a time.

  Not that he’d been involved in a while or was now, he thought as he stepped aside for a couple of teenage boys on skateboards. They barely made it to the corner when a deputy stepped in to put a stop to their fun.

  He liked Dellina a lot. She was great. Funny and sexy and someone he could count on. But he knew what would happen if things got serious—it would all go to hell. He’d reconciled with the truth a long time ago—he had the worst luck when it came to women. Always had, always would. As much as he wanted that to change, it hadn’t.

  Which left him wondering about his future. He wanted a traditional family. A wife and a few kids. How was he supposed to make that happen when his personal life went from one disaster to another?

  Up ahead the door to The Christmas Attic opened and a woman stepped out with large shopping bags in each hand. She had two kids trailing behind, although the little boy seemed more interested in the festival than keeping up with his mother.

  “Stay with me,” the woman called as she started for the corner.

  Sam figured her car was in the lot there and, once she put her bags away, she would be fine. It was the getting there that was going to be difficult.

  Her son, a boy of maybe four or five, spotted the ice cream vendor and grinned. He moved toward the curb instead of following his mother. The woman turned and looked for him, then frantically called out a name.

  “I’ll be right back,” Sam said as he jogged toward the boy and scooped him up. As he did so, he waved at the woman. “I’ve got him.”

  He maintained eye contact as he approached so she wouldn’t think he was trying to kidnap the boy, then put him down as soon as they were close.

  “Let me help you with your bags,” he said. “Then you can keep hold of what’s really important.”

  She gave him a grateful smile. “I should have made two trips,” she admitted. “It’s just the Christmas store is having a sale and there’s a nativity set I’ve wanted forever. Noelle called to tell me she was holding it for me.” She picked up her son and took her daughter’s hand. “Thank you for helping.”

  “No problem.” He took her bags and they walked to her small SUV. He put the bags in the back. “Enjoy your weekend.”

  She smiled at him and he returned to his guests. One of the wives linked her arm with him.

  “This is why I like your company so much,” she said. “You all have heart.”

  “It’s a small town,” Sam said, not sure what to do with the compliment, but liking it all the same. “Helping out is part of the culture.”

  “It’s so nice to see,” she told him. “Living here must be very special.”

  Sam nodded. The woman released his arm and returned to her husband’s side. Sam continued to walk with them, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

  When the guys had first visited Fool’s Gold, they’d all been impressed by the location. Although Taryn loved everything about Los Angeles, the guys were ready for a change and Fool’s Gold had offered that. But once they’d bought the new building, Sam had wrestled with second thoughts. Did he really want to live in a place where everyone would know his business? He’d grown up with that and didn’t feel the need to re-create it as an adult.

  Because of that, he’d held back a little. Jack and Kenny had made friends everywhere, but Sam had kept to himself. He’d resisted requests to speak to local business organizations and hadn’t done any community service work. He saw now that he was never going to feel as if he really belonged if he didn’t simply take the plunge. It was like what had happened with Dellina. He’d been so busy thinking the worst, he’d missed out on someone great. She’d not only saved the client party, she’d turned out to be someone he could trust. And in his world, that was to be treasured.

  * * *

  SAM WALKED OUT of the elevator and saw Kenny and Jack handing Taryn money. Judging from the wad of cash she held, he would guess three or four hundred dollars each. They were making a bet—something he usually participated in. Only not this time. Because he knew what they were betting on. Maybe not the exact verbiage, but he could guess the subject matter.

  “What?” he asked as he approached.

  His friends turned to him. Kenny and Jack both looked guilty while Taryn appeared smug.

  “Showing a video versus just talking,” Taryn told him. “I’m convinced she’s not going to do anything to embarrass you. Jack says there’s going to be sex on a video while Kenny’s going for an over the clothes demonstration.”

  Kenny held up both hands. “I’ve been to her talks before. We all know what happens.”

  “You in?” Jack asked.

  Sam tried to ignore the steady thumping of a headache coming on and shook his head. “There’s no win for me. Taryn, I appreciate your support, but we both know that we’re talking about my mother. There’s no way she’s not going to do something.”

  “You want to bet on the video versus talking?” she asked.

  “No. I want her to be normal.”

  “We don’t have a pool for that.”

  “I wonder why,” Sam muttered as he walked toward the room at the end of the hall. He planned to sit up front, but on the side. That way he could rush the stage if necessary. He wasn’t sure what he would do when he got there, but when it came to Lark, being ready for action seemed more important than having a plan.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “IT’S SAFE TO RELAX,” Dellina said as much to herself as to Sam. They were off the terrace at the rear of the hotel after a long, successful day of entertaining clients.

  Behind them, large grills were heating as the hotel chefs prepared for the evening’s barbecue. To the north was a big fire pit that would be lit closer to sunset. The tables were set, the music already playing, and in a few minutes their guests would arrive. The weekend event had passed the halfway mark. Dellina hoped to have an easy time of it from now until tomorrow afternoon when she was going to collapse and sleep for at least twelve hours.

  “From everything I’ve heard, people had a great time in town,” she told him. “The kids loved their bike ride with Josh and the therapy dog event was a hit.”

  He looked at her. “What you really mean is my mother didn’t take off her clothes or have sex on the stage during her lecture.”

  “It had been a concern,” Dellina admitted. She’d stayed in the back of the room while Lark had taken the stage. She wasn’t sure if she was there so she could run if necessary or to show other people the way out if they felt th
e need to bolt.

  “She was okay,” Sam admitted. “For her, the lecture was tame.”

  “And informative,” Dellina added.

  Lark had spoken about the importance of sexual happiness in a marriage. When she’d hit a button on the computer next to her and lit up the screen, Dellina had been prepared for anything from porn to detailed, anatomically correct photographs. Instead Lark had shown tasteful drawings of both male and female anatomy, then had discussed pressure points and breathing exercises.

  “She only said clitoris three times.” Sam sounded relieved. “So we got through it.”

  “Or at least the part we were both worried about.” She glanced at her watch. “Okay—I’ve checked on the food. The bar is ready. There’s a mocktail station for the kids, if they want to re-create their favorite drinks from last night. We can—”

  She stared as the first couple in their group stepped out onto the lawn. She knew them by sight and name, had spoken with them. They were in their forties and had left their college-age kids at home.

  While the couple had been friendly with each other, Dellina couldn’t remember them holding hands. As she watched, the wife glanced up at her husband and laughed. He stopped, faced her, then cupped her face with his free hand and kissed her. Using tongue.

  “What?” Sam said, spinning toward the hotel. “Are my parents naked?”

  “I have no idea, but if they are, they’re not out here.”

  He looked around, then back at her. “What are you staring at?”

  “Bill and Marie.”

  Sam glanced at them and shrugged. “They’re here.”

  “They’re kissing!”

  “I don’t get the big deal.”

  Dellina started to smile. “Oh, I think you will in a little bit. This is going to be one interesting and mellow barbecue.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Another couple joined Bill and Marie. They spoke to each other, as they had all weekend. But there was a notable difference.

  Dellina put her hand on Sam’s arm and turned him toward the couples. “Look at them. What do you see?”

  “I don’t know. People I know.”

  “People you know who just had mind-blowing sex. I’m going to guess that more than a few of your guests used your mother’s techniques and enjoyed them.”

  “Holy crap,” Sam muttered. “You think so?” He groaned before she could answer. “You’re right. Look at them. What have we done?”

  She stepped in front of him. “We’ve helped happy couples reconnect in an intimate way. This is a good thing. I know your mother can be intrusive and that she doesn’t respect boundaries, but that doesn’t mean her information isn’t valid. Don’t you think this is going to make your clients feel even better about working with your company?”

  “I don’t want them talking about sex or doing things my mother taught them in front of me.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, that would be uncomfortable for all of us. But I say just go with it.”

  He sighed. “Why couldn’t I have been born into a normal family?”

  “Then you wouldn’t be who you are.”

  “I guess.” He shook his head. “Okay, time for a barbecue.”

  “I’m on it.”

  She started to walk away. Sam grabbed her hand and held her in place. She turned toward him.

  “Yes?”

  “Want me to show you those pressure points later?”

  Dellina thought about how he’d made her feel the day before and that was without trying too hard. If he really put some effort into it, who knew what would happen?

  In less than a second, her skin burned and she felt swelling in all the girl places.

  “Is it possible to die from too good an orgasm?” she asked.

  He grinned. “No.”

  “Then, sure. Let’s have a lab experiment with the pressure points. You know my room number.”

  “I do.”

  * * *

  FOR DELLINA, THE EVENING couldn’t pass quickly enough. The barbecue seemed to take forever. She’d never known people to eat so slowly. Part of it was how the other couples were so attentive to each other. She saw more than one pair feeding each other.

  But as soon as the kids started to get sleepy, parents hurried away. She stayed until the last of their guests had headed upstairs, then checked with the staff to make sure everything was ready for the morning brunch.

  Once her work was complete, she was free to leave. There was only one problem—she hadn’t seen Sam in over an hour. Had he forgotten their plans for the evening? Had he just been kidding?

  This was what was difficult about sleeping with someone she wasn’t dating. There was no good way to ask. If she and Sam were actually together, then they would have a pattern. Or at least regular conversation. Although in truth, Sam had been with her for much of the weekend. And he’d been living with her for the past few days.

  “I’m tired,” she told herself as she made her way to the elevators. “I’ll figure it out after all this is done.”

  She would give him fifteen minutes after she was in her room, then she was going to take a shower and crawl into bed. While not as exciting as a couple of hours in his arms, being rested had its benefits.

  She stepped out onto the floor and headed for her room. After using her card key, she let herself inside.

  Her room was of the standard variety. A bed, a couple of chairs and a bathroom beyond. She had a view of the mountains, not that she’d had the chance to look at it. It wasn’t as if she’d had time to relax over the past couple of days. Still, she knew what to expect and what she found this evening was different.

  The first thing she noticed was how a few of the lights were on, but not the bright ones. The covers had been pulled back on the bed and there was a standing ice bucket by the nightstand, along with a bottle of champagne.

  She turned to her left and saw Sam sitting in one of the chairs. He was in shadow, but she could see enough of him to know he was wearing jeans...and nothing else.

  Funny how the sight of a bare-chested, handsome man could get her tummy to dancing, she thought as she put her purse on the table by the door and stepped out of her flats.

  “Did I give you a key to my room?” she asked.

  He stood. “No.”

  “I didn’t think so. Should I ask how you got in?”

  “If you really want to know.”

  He crossed to her. His expression was unreadable. Intense, she thought. Hungry. Unable to help herself, she put her palms flat on his chest and felt warm skin and hard muscle. He was sculpted and beautiful in the most masculine definition of the words.

  She was tired and stressed from the weekend, ready for it all to be over. What she needed was sleep. What she wanted was him.

  She slid her hands down his rock-hard belly to the waistband of his jeans. She unfastened the button, then lowered the zipper. His erection made the latter difficult, but she persevered. She tucked her thumbs inside the waistband, by his sides, and then pushed the denim down. As she moved she caught the top of the briefs and dragged them along.

  When she reached about midthigh, he took over and shoved his clothes to the floor, then stepped out of them.

  He was completely naked and she was, except for her shoes, fully dressed. There was something kind of cool about that, she thought. Exciting. Heat seemed to bubble up inside of her, making her skin extrasensitive. Just looking at him made her want to touch. Touching made her think about them being together, and that was more than enough to make her breasts ache and her center swell.

  He was aroused. His erection jutted toward her. She wanted him inside of her, but she wanted other things, too.

  She stepped to his side and put her palm on his belly.
Her pinkie and ring finger were nestled in the hair at his groin. She moved behind him. She rested her free hand on the small of his back before slowly―oh, so slowly―lowering it over his butt.

  The curve was muscled and hard, like most of the rest of him. It was also warm, and touching him like this was arousing. She’d seen him play football the previous day. Sam really was a gifted athlete.

  She continued to move that hand around his side, while keeping the other still on his stomach. She eased closer, so that her belly pressed against his ass while her lips nibbled along his right shoulder blade. Her left hand kept moving down his hip, then across to the top of his thigh.

  She felt his stomach muscles contract. At the same moment she reached for his penis, she slipped her left hand between his legs and cupped his testicles.

  His breath caught. She moved the hand holding his balls, shifting to get into position.

  “I think I’m supposed to do something like this,” she murmured into his back, searching for the pressure points Lark had described. At the same time, she closed her fingers around his arousal and began to stroke him.

  “If I find them and push on them,” she continued, “you’ll get unbearably close, but won’t go over the edge. What did she call it? Orgasm without release?”

  Using her middle finger the way Lark had explained, she gently applied pressure just under the apex of his scrotum. She found the other positions for her fingers. As she continued to move her right hand up and down, she increased the pressure with her left until Sam’s breath increased and his body began to shake. She could feel him getting closer and closer, but if Lark was right, there was no way he was going to have an orgasm. The other woman had claimed a man could go like this for hours.

  “Dellina,” he began.

  “Shh. Let me enjoy this for a few more minutes.”

  “What if my mother’s wrong?”