She squeezed her eyes shut briefly, then nodded. So many emotions surged through her it was all the response she could manage. He stepped forward and took her mouth again in a quick but heated kiss, then stepped away.
“Goodnight, Imani. Pleasant dreams.”
She wasn’t sure how long she stood there after he left, but finally she was able to put one shaky foot in front of the other. Her body was ablaze with lust. She wanted Carson badly. If it hadn’t been for the person outside blowing their car horn, there’s no doubt in her mind she’d be on the couch doing things she’d only be able to imagine up until this point.
When she entered the bedroom, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. The corners of her mouth curved upward. She wondered what was going through his mind as he drove home. If it were anything close to what was going through hers, he had to be thoroughly aroused and frustrated.
How had things transpired so fast she ended up with the top part of her dress down to her waist? He’d still been completely dressed, but a few more moments of uninterrupted passion and that wouldn’t have been the case. They would’ve definitely ended up making love. His interest in her was almost overwhelming.
She turned away from the mirror and began to get ready for bed. It wasn’t too late, but emotionally she felt tapped out.
She gathered her discarded clothes, placed them in the hamper, then brushed her teeth and washed her face. She rushed through the tasks, unable to keep her mind from wandering to Carson. Thinking about what it’d be like to make love to him.
Finally, she was finished, and after turning out the lights she crawled into bed and closed her eyes. It didn’t take long to conjure up an image of Carson and all the details that came with it. She recalled his scent; masculine, slightly summery. The way his touch made her skin tingle. Mostly she recalled his lips.
She’d never been kissed like that. Never. Gently, at first, but not timidly. Then heat. Heart racing, sweat inducing heat. Not at all. He’d held her tight, his hard body pressed against hers, making her knees weak and her heart race. He’d given her a little time to get used to him, to relax, but she hadn’t. Couldn’t. Especially not when his warm, wet tongue touched the crease of her lips. She’d gasped, and he’d taken advantage of her reaction, slipping his tongue inside.
Imani squeezed her thighs together, but it wasn’t enough to ease her growing tension. Rolling onto her side, she slipped her hand inside her panties. As she conjured up every exquisite detail of how he tasted, how he’d explored her so sweetly, her excitement grew until she breathed fast, hard, and her body grew taut as she climbed toward her release. The orgasm swept everything in the world away except the current sensation and memory. Suspended in a cocoon of pleasure, she moaned his name.
Drawing in slow, deep breaths, she struggled to regain her equilibrium, which wasn’t easy. Residual memories of his touch began to swamp her again. How his hand had caressed the top swell of her behind, his chest had rubbed against her breasts. Made the request out loud. Said it with a look of pure lust in his eyes.
He was trying to get past the fortress she’d worked hard to erect, the one thing she never thought anyone would try to do, never expected. It made her nervous, borderline insecure. She closed her eyes, trying to fight off the overwhelming feelings, willing sleep to come. When it did, it was the restless sort.
* * * *
Carson pulled into his driveway, turned off the ignition then let out a loud groan of frustration. It hadn’t been his intention for things to go as far as they had with Imani, but the moment he had her in his arms a surge of lust had rushed through him and he’d been unable to stop at just a kiss. The only reassurance he had was she’d been right there with him until the sound of the car horn brought them back to reality.
He opened the car door and marched inside his home, needing a shower in the worst of ways. After locking up, he made a beeline upstairs to the bathroom. He turned on the shower and undressed, sighing as he released his semi-hard erection from the constraints of his swimming trunks. Rubbing it briefly, he stepped under the spray of hot water and closed his eyes. Now he could pay proper attention to his unfulfilled need. He gripped his rigid shaft, ready to come quickly, bathe and go to bed. Only his image of Imani wasn’t cooperating with the plan.
He kept thinking about how she watched him with those inquisitive brown eyes of hers. He was uncertain what she saw, but he recognized longing when he saw it. She wanted him, which was a damn good thing because he wanted her just as bad. When she’d drawn her bottom lip in between her teeth, it was all he could do not to push her onto the table and have his way with her.
But there was a sense of strangeness, too. On one hand, she stirred something in him, a sense of trust, as if he could tell her his secrets. On the other, she made him hard as steel in an instant.
He sighed, knowing he was trying to comprehend the unfathomable. He might be a genius when it came to business matters, but he wasn’t as savvy when it came to women. She just brought out a natural carefree side of him. But he didn’t have time to worry about that. There were more pressing issues.
He pumped his hand, getting into a nice, easy rhythm. He yearned to be inside of Imani, to feel her surround him. He’d wanted many women in his life, for a number of reasons, most having to do with sex, but this was different. She was different. He wanted to unwrap her like a gift, tear away the disguise and see what lay beneath. And once he had her stripped bare and open, he’d elicit all that passion, all that slow, smoldering sexual tension, and he’d take her to a place he was sure she’d never been. She’d scream with pleasure for him before he was through. He thought about her standing in front of him completely naked, pictured her silently sinking to her knees and taking his erection into her mouth.
He squeezed his eyes shut, losing himself in the fantasy. A few seconds later, he shuddered as his climax slammed into him and whispered Imani’s name.
Standing there silently for several moments, he relished his release then began to bathe. Several moments later he slid beneath the cool sheets on his bed and rolled onto his back. Placing his arms underneath his pillow, he cradled his head, staring up at the ceiling.
He wondered what Imani was doing at that exact moment. When he’d left her home, the regret and sexual frustration had been clearly visible in her eyes. Had she taken matters into her own hands as well? He growled at the thought.
Things between him and her had progressed much faster than he’d expected. He hadn’t even been this initially attracted to Misty. There was something about Imani that appealed to him on both a basic and complex level. He wanted to be with her in ways even he didn’t understand. A long time ago, he’d learned to listen to his gut. Right now it told him she was the one for him.
The moment he’d laid eyes on her, something inside of him had awakened, that’d been dormant for a long time. He just couldn’t quite place his finger on it.
Releasing a pent up breath, he closed his eyes. Overthinking the situation wasn’t go to help. No, he had to stick with his original plan. Show her a good time. Help her to relax. Then everything else would work out as he hoped.
Tonight’s dinner had been all about that. At first he’d been certain Imani would back out, especially when she realized the location of their date. However, it might have worked out in his favor. She’d been so distracted she hadn’t paid much attention to the fact he’d served her a main course that required she used nothing but her hands to eat.
He chuckled. The first time she’d come into Baxter’s he noticed her instantly. He’d been even more intrigued when she’d ordered the lobster roll and began to eat it with a knife and fork. It’d prompted him to go over and introduce himself. He felt safe to say he’d fascinated her as well even if it had been like pulling teeth to get her to tell him her name.
The second time she’d come back, Kallie had been in the front of the restaurant, but quickly rushed back to let him know Imani was back and prepared the lobster roll even bef
ore the order came back to the kitchen. When she’d picked up the sandwich with her hands this time, he’d been even more consumed with the desire to spend more time in her presence.
He’d taken a risk in serving the seafood bake for their dinner. But he’d wanted to create an ambiance in which she could relax and not worry about putting up any pretenses. His plan had worked because she’d dived right in with no hesitation.
Now he just had to figure out his next step. She’d go home in a couple of weeks, but he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible until then. What bothered him most was he only had until then to convince her they could have something beyond that point.
Chapter Six
Carson stared across the table at Imani, wondering how it was she seemed to be more beautiful each time he saw her. She’d swept her hair up into a sophisticated style that allowed the loose curls to cascade down around her face. The turquoise off the shoulder shirt she wore offered him teasing glances of her soft skin. The jeans she wore had rendered him speechless. When he got a good look of her from the back as she’d walked to the booth, he nearly swallowed his tongue.
His mind was complete mush. He couldn’t think about anything other than how much he wanted to have her in his arms the same way he had last night. If he was lucky, he’d at least get to kiss her again.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Promise you won’t slap me if you tell you?”
She laughed. “No, but you just told me indirectly.”
“Would you like for me to tell you right out to be certain?”
She shook her head. “You are truly something else, Carson.”
He reached across the table and touched the hand she had resting on the table. “So are you.”
“Thank you, I think.”
“Oh, it’s definitely a compliment.”
He pulled back and reached for his glass of wine. Lord, the woman had a way of turning him inside out. On one hand that scared the hell out of him. On the other it sent a tingle of excitement through him. At this rate he’d be a raving loon by the end of June.
He sat his glass down as the waiter delivered their check. It’d been nice to bring her to a restaurant outside of Baxter’s, away from prying eyes. Kallie was thrilled to see him showing interest in a woman.
Too excited.
He already had enough pressure in trying to figure out how to not overwhelm Imani to the point she ran off as fast as she could in the opposite direction. After reaching into his pocket, he pulled his wallet out, withdrew his credit card and placed it on the table. Several moments later they were leaving the restaurant.
“How about we go for a stroll to walk some of this food off?”
“I’m game. Just don’t let me keep you out too late,” he said.
“I won’t. I have the pleasure of opening the restaurant again in the morning. That alarm goes off a lot earlier than I would like.”
He didn’t protest as she interlaced her fingers with his. “Would you like to take off your shoes?”
“No. I don’t plan to get close to the water’s edge tonight.”
They walked a few feet down the beach in comfortable silence. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in a woman’s presence and not felt the pressure to keep a conversation going. Just being with Imani seemed to be enough.
Glancing over at her briefly, he saw one corner of her mouth curved upward. Sweet mercy she had a luscious mouth. Every time his gaze zoned in on it he had to fight the urge to kiss her senseless. He’d been successful so far tonight, but that was about to change.
Several feet later, he stopped and turned to face her, taking her other free hand in his. “Confession time. How much work did you do today?”
When she didn’t respond, he inched closer, and his nose tingled from the delicate fragrance of her perfume.
She chuckled. “I’m not all work, Carson.”
He traced her lips with a light finger and she shivered. “You have such a beautifully distracting mouth.”
“Is that an insult, Mr. Baxter?”
At the same instant she reached up for him, he lowered his head. Great minds. “I would never insult your mouth, Imani,” he whispered against her lips. “Never.”
It started out quite innocently, soft and teasing, a mere brushing of lips. His tongue traced just inside her mouth, sending quick sparks of desire racing through him. When it seemed she wanted more, he held back.
Today, he was in no hurry. He loved the taste of her. It was wonderfully intoxicating. Imani was a temptation he couldn’t resist. He didn’t hide anything from her; his unsteady breath, the quickening of his heart. The way her hands caressed and stroked him in return. All of it went straight to his head.
A breeze drifted over them. In the distance, the city moved forward. Car horns honked and, somewhere in the distance, a group of people laughed. Yet, the spot on the beach they stood on had become a haven.
Unable to resist the temptation, he took her lower lip in his mouth and sucked, fascinated by the feel of her soft skin under his fingertips.
He pulled her closer until her body was flush against his, his hands firmly gripping her waist. With an easy sigh, she melted into him. The sound drove his desire up several notches. Already, his body throbbed with heat. Her tongue tangled with his, impatient, but then she slid her tongue deeply in his mouth and covered his chest with her hand, her touch gentle and soothing.
He kissed her with a slow, incessant rhythm that made her shift her hips until she came into direct contract with his erection. Even then, it didn’t seem to be enough. She rubbed against him, the sensation providing a poor substitute for what his body demanded.
Nearby voices buzzed in the background, reminded him of where they were. Carson lifted his head, tracing her cheek with an unsteady hand. “You’re killing me here, Imani.”
“I don’t mean to.”
“I know.” He glanced down at his wristwatch. “Look at the time. It’s getting late. We should go.”
She averted her gaze, staring out at the water. “I don’t want the night to end. I know I wasn’t ready last night and tonight still might be too soon, but I don’t want to spend another restless night tossing and turning. Our time is limited as it is. I don’t want to waste a moment of it.”
He should say no, turn her down as gently as possible, drive her home then go to his own house. But when her gaze met his again, the intense need he read there punched him in the gut. Why fight the desire to give them both what they wanted? “Your place or mine?”
* * * *
They made it to his home, where he took his keys and undid the locks, and to his great relief, they were inside. While she kicked off her sandals, he tugged her jeans down, her hands impeding his as she fumbled with his zipper.
Finally he stepped away from her and had them completely naked from the waist down before he could take his next deep breath. He groaned when she reached out and cupped his erection in her palms. Almost losing all control, he eased out of her grip.
“I need to get a condom,” he whispered, as he stepped away again, scrambling for his pants. “Stay right here.”
She didn’t move, plastered against the door, waiting. “Hurry up.”
He jerked his wallet out of his back pocket. Opening it up, he reached for one of the two packets he’d placed there before tonight’s date. While he hadn’t known what would happen tonight, he’d wanted to be prepared. He was glad he had now.
“I can’t wait,” he murmured, taking her lips in a quick kiss.
She clutched his shoulders. “Now.”
He sheathed himself with shaking fingers. “I wanted this to be slow,” he said, lifting her.
She wrapped her legs around his waist. “I need to feel you inside me. Now. We can go slow later.”
He took one step forward, braced her against the door. She locked her hands behind his neck.
And then he plunged inside her.
Carson staggered for a sec
ond, amazed by the intense overwhelming pleasure of being surrounded by Imani. Warm, drenching pleasure. Her heat made him frantic. He needed to find control, but all his control was gone.
Now she was his. Finally. Her hips ground against him, and he started to move, thrust inside her, deeper, as if he could touch her soul. His eyes held her heated gaze, unflinching. The way she looked at him, with need and something more, made anything possible. For now, nothing could touch them.
She was his.
He drove inside her, over and over, determined to please her. In this, there would be no one but him. Carson kissed her again, her tongue tangling with his, her breathing as ragged as his own.
Over and over.
Her head rolled to one side, her hair falling across his arm, just like he dreamed it would. She bit her lip and still, he moved.
Over and over. Not yet.
A moan of surrender fell from her lips. She was close. Her nails bit into his shoulders, but there was no pain. Instead, he moved faster, harder. He felt her muscles clench around him, saw her eyes go blank, her lashes drifting downward. She gasped and trembled, and he smiled with satisfaction.
At last.
He thrust inside her one last time, as far as he could go. His body jerked, a charge of energy roaring through him. Then his climax came, the undeniable pleasure, the undeniable truth.
He was starting to fall for her.
* * * *
Carson leaned against her, his panting breath, like hers, slowly returning to normal. She unhooked her legs from around him, sliding down until she stood, and felt a sense of loss as their bodies pulled apart.
Cupping her chin with his palm, he raised her head. Dismay crossed his face at the silent tears running down her cheeks. “Imani? Oh, God, I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
One Hot Summer Anthology Page 5
