by Cindi Myers
“Not every man thinks like you, Nick.”
“Sure they do, even if they won’t admit it. Hey, I didn’t say there’s anything wrong if you are sleeping with her. I think Carl’s rule is stupid.”
“Thanks for weighing in with your opinion.” Adam started off down the hall again.
Nick insisted on following. “I heard about what happened at Outback Charlie’s.”
Adam stiffened, but kept walking. “What happened at Outback Charlie’s?”
“Your big revelation that you’re an ex-con.”
“I’m sure the gossip hounds are having a field day with that one.”
“Sometimes things are only a big deal if you make them into that.”
He stopped and faced Nick again. “Just what are you getting at?”
“I’m trying to tell you that if you act like your record isn’t anything special—that it’s just part of who you are, like that chiseled jaw and your knowledge of music trivia—then other people will start to look at it that way, too. But if you treat it like this big, bad secret, they’re going to think you were in for something really horrible.”
“And you know this how?”
“I know this because despite what you may think, being in this business all these years has made me a student of human nature.”
“Is that so? So all the time you’re sitting in that control booth making off-color jokes, you’re really analyzing your co-workers.”
“Not analyzing, but observing. For instance, I know that Bonnie spends so much time trying to get noticed because she’s really insecure.”
Adam laughed. “Bombshell Bonnie? Insecure? Or is there another Bonnie here I don’t know about?”
“Did you know that she has six brothers and sisters, and that they all grew up dirt poor in some shack in East Texas? She probably had to fight for attention from the day she was born.”
“How do you know all this?”
Nick shrugged. “I got her drunk one night and I asked her.” He grinned. “You should try it some time. A little overindulgence can loosen anyone’s tongue, and make them forget their inhibitions.”
“Think I’ll pass. Is there a point to this conversation?”
“I’m trying to give you some useful advice. Lighten up.”
“Thanks. Think I’ll put that on a T-shirt.”
He started to walk away. “Hey, Adam,” Nick added.
“What?”
“If you aren’t sleeping with Erica, you ought to give it a try. I could be wrong, but I think she has a thing for you.”
“Goodbye, Nick.”
Adam headed down the stairs toward the coffee room, wishing he had something stronger than coffee to liven up the morning. Did everyone suspect that he and Erica were an item? If so, how long would it be before he had to start looking for another job? The idea of having to interview again, to face all those questions about his past, made his stomach knot. No matter what Nick said, people did pay attention when they saw the words “felony conviction” on a résumé. He’d felt them physically recoil from him, seen the sick smiles on their faces as they told him “Thanks, but no thanks.”
Erica hadn’t acted that way. His shoulders relaxed as he thought of her. She was amazing. The one person he felt he could be himself with.
One more reason he wasn’t eager to let the whole world in on their relationship. Right now it was something special and private, something only they shared. And he had to admit, the fact that it was secret, that they had to sneak around, was a bigger turn-on than he’d anticipated. He didn’t ever want what happened between them to become ordinary or mundane.
Right now, his relationship with Erica was like no other he’d ever had. He wanted it to stay that way as long as possible, with nothing intruding to spoil it.
14
“DOES TEN CENT Redemption go before the As or with the Ts?” Erica asked as she and Adam sorted through stacks of CDs during their inventory shift Friday evening.
“With the Ts.” Adam looked up from a pile of jewel cases. “Why would we have five copies of Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’?”
“Did their publicity people send us a bunch of freebies?” She climbed a rolling ladder and slotted Ten Cent Redemption into the proper place.
“Or maybe somebody…” Adam’s voice trailed away, his attention caught by the curve of her backside, showed off to advantage by her short, tight denim skirt. The first time he’d met her, he’d noticed her sexy behind, and now that he knew what it felt like, what it looked like without that denim covering…
He didn’t know how long he was lost in fantasy before he realized she’d spoken. “Sorry.” He shook his head. “I was distracted there for a minute. What did you say?”
She climbed down from the ladder and started toward him. “I asked if you were staring at my butt.”
“Guilty.” He held up both hands. “I plead temporary insanity.”
“You look perfectly sane to me.” She straddled his knee and put her hands on either side of his face.
“Looks can be deceiving.” He grasped her waist and kissed the corner of her mouth. “Don’t you know you drive me crazy?”
“Mmm.” She captured his mouth in a long, satisfying kiss. He loved the fact that she was as eager for his touch as he was to touch her.
“I think I like being with you here, alone, at night,” she said when their lips parted.
“We’re supposed to be working.” But even as he said the words, he reached around and slid his hand under her skirt.
To his disappointment, and surprise, she moved out of his arms and straightened her skirt. “You’re right. We’ll never get done here if we don’t get busy.” She turned back to the shelves of CDs, and stopped at the base of the ladder. “It’s warmer in here than I thought. I don’t really need this sweater.” She shrugged out of the sweater, revealing a tight white tank top. She wasn’t wearing a bra and her erect nipples were clearly outlined against the thin fabric. “That’s better.”
She climbed the ladder again and he forced his attention back to sorting the box of miscellaneous CDs. But every few seconds his gaze drifted to her. The station’s broadcast was piped into this library room and she was dancing to some lively song as she shelved CDs. As she swayed and gyrated, he thought of how she felt moving under him.
He wished he still smoked, so that he could use the excuse of a cigarette break to step out and get some fresh air. Anything to clear his mind of the erotic images she called forth. Not that he didn’t fantasize about her off and on in the course of an average workday, but now, alone with her in this dimly lit, secluded room, he found himself thinking about bending her over the stacks and lifting that little skirt of hers—
“I’ve got to go to the ladies’ room. I’ll be back in a minute.” She sashayed past him, so close her perfume drifted over him, something spicy and exotic. Sexy.
He was standing in front of the shelves, making note of gaps in the station’s collection when she returned and slipped up behind him. “Keep these for me,” she said, slipping something into his pocket.
“What—?” But she’d already moved to the other side of the room, and climbed the ladder.
He slipped his hand in his pocket and felt warm silk. He pulled out a pink satin thong, with tiny bows in front. He crushed his hand around it, and felt the heat from her body seep into his palm. He looked over at her, but she was shelving CDs, humming to herself, as if she’d given him a memo from Carl or the local pizza place flyer, instead of her underwear.
He moved over to her. She stood on the top rung of the ladder, the hem of the skirt at his eye level. “You’re not making it easy for me to keep my mind on my work,” he said.
She smiled. “It doesn’t exactly take a brain surgeon to alphabetize CDs. I thought you might like something to look forward to.”
He slid his hand up her naked thigh, until his fingers brushed her bare buttocks. He squeezed, and felt a corresponding tension in his cock.
“What exactly do I hav
e to look forward to?”
“Oh, I’m sure you can think of something nice.”
He slid his hand over to slip between her thighs, his pinky resting against the folds of her sex. “I’d rather hear your ideas on the subject.”
Her eyes glazed a little and she took a deep breath and straightened. “Later, when our work here is done, I thought we’d go home. I’ve got a bottle of Godiva liqueur I’ve been saving.”
“We’re going to drink the liqueur?”
“Yes, but not out of a glass. We’re going to take turns pouring it on each other’s bodies and licking it up.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“For instance, I’d pour it over your balls and let it run down, then I lick and suck up every…last…drop.”
The body part in question tightened at the suggestion of her tongue working him over so thoroughly. “We’d have to be very thorough, wouldn’t we? Make sure none of it dripped on to the sheets.” He pressed his finger between her folds, feeling the growing wetness there.
“Yes.” She widened her stance, and held on to the shelves with one hand.
He was tempted to continue his explorations, but reluctantly withdrew his hand. “I’d take you up on that offer right now, except that it would be just like Carl to stop by and check on us.”
“I hope he does come by.” She looked down at him, her eyes defiant. “He might get a real eyeful.”
He arched one eyebrow. “You have fantasies about performing for Carl? Or is it just the idea of someone watching?”
“The idea of someone watching is kind of a turn-on. But not Carl!” She made a face. “No, I meant that it would be a relief to have everything out in the open.”
“You don’t think sneaking around adds a little extra…suspense to things?”
“Sometimes. At first it did. But now…now I want everyone to know how I feel about you.”
And how do you feel about me? But he wasn’t ready for that answer yet.
“Are you really worried about Carl?” she asked. “Are you afraid of what he’ll do?”
Not that long ago, he would have automatically denied being fearful or worried about anything. But with Erica he could be more honest. “I like this job, and I don’t look forward to searching for another one.”
“You have a good reputation in Denver now. I don’t think you’d have trouble finding work.”
“People always weigh the bad reputation in my past against anything I’m doing now. There are always questions I’d rather not answer.”
“You didn’t want to answer all my questions, but I’m glad you did.”
“I’m glad I did, too.” It felt good not having to hide anything from her, not having to pretend things were all right when they weren’t.
“We’d better get back to work,” he said, and started to turn away.
“Maybe we’d work better if we weren’t so distracted,” she said.
“Or, maybe we’ll work faster since we are distracted.”
“Still, I don’t think it would matter much if we took a little break.” She stepped two rungs down the ladder and put her hands on his shoulders. “We’re entitled to breaks. I’m sure I saw it in the contract.” She nipped at his ear. “Sex breaks.”
“Sex breaks?” He laughed.
“It’s in the fine print. Coffee breaks, cigarette breaks and sex breaks.” She moved closer, until his mouth was almost against the side of her breast.
“Obviously there are benefits to this job I wasn’t aware of.” His mouth closed over her nipple, sucking it gently through the cloth.
“Lots…of benefits.” She arched against him.
He captured her other nipple and dragged his tongue back and forth across the hard nub, holding her steady with his hands at her waist. She closed her eyes, and was standing with her head thrown back, her fingers gripping the edge of the shelf, totally focused on the moment. There were times, with her, when he could be that way, too—consumed by the present, with no worries about the past or future.
He felt her knees wobble, and he lifted his head. “Are you okay?”
She smiled down on him, eyes dark with passion. “Never been better.”
He returned the look, his heart so full of emotion he was afraid to examine it too closely. “So, how long does this sex break last?” he asked, keeping things light.
“As long as we need.”
He was beginning to think he could spend the rest of his life getting to know her and her body. A scary thought, so he put it aside, and pulled down on the tank top until her breasts were exposed. “You’ve made me reckless, do you know that?”
“Good.” She threaded her fingers through his hair, cradling his head in her palms. “We all ought to be a little reckless sometimes. You need to cut loose a little.”
Her words hit home. Once upon a time he’d been the original wild man. He never missed a party, took every dare, lived every day as though there was no tomorrow. Later, he’d told himself the drugs had made him act that way. But maybe there was a part of himself that needed freedom.
Erica was like a different kind of drug, helping him find that part of himself again. “Maybe you’re right,” he said. “Maybe I do need to cut loose.”
He cupped her breast in his palm, running his thumb along the satiny underside, then up over her nipple. He swirled his tongue around the sensitive peak, then took as much of her as he could into his mouth. He wanted to take all of her inside him—her spirit, her courage, her optimism. All the things he’d lost somewhere years ago.
She was gasping and panting when he moved to her other breast, lavishing the same attention on it. “I don’t know how much longer I can stand here,” she said. “My legs are jelly.”
“A little longer.” He urged her up the ladder, and unzipped her skirt and pushed it down.
Grinning, she kicked it out of the way. “Maybe I can stay up here a little longer. You are making it very interesting.”
He grasped her hips and pulled her to him. “I won’t let you fall. I promise.”
Standing here, naked, her pussy so close to his mouth, made her feel vulnerable and exposed, and very, very turned on. His fingers pressed into her buttocks as he covered her clit with his mouth. He trailed his tongue along the folds of her labia, then sucked the sensitive nub, sending waves of arousal shuddering through her. She grasped his hair with one hand, and held onto the shelves with the other.
He continued his assault on her, alternately licking and sucking. Her legs began to shake, and she panted with the effort of staying upright. The tension in her muscles only added to her arousal. She felt stretched tight, on the verge of shattering. The bass rhythm of the music playing in the background vibrated through her, matching the pounding of her heart and the throbbing between her legs.
She came hard, bucking against him, letting him hold her steady while she closed her eyes and reveled in the sensation. She smiled at the warmth spreading through her. This was what joy felt like, she was sure.
When she opened her eyes, he was looking up at her, an expression of such awe and devotion in his eyes that she blinked back sudden tears. “You’re amazing,” he said, as he helped her down the ladder, to the floor.
“You’re pretty amazing yourself,” she said, reaching for his belt buckle.
He kicked off his shoes and stripped out of his clothes in a matter of seconds. “I want you right now,” he said, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her to him again.
His kiss was hungry, and she could feel his cock pressing hard against her stomach. When they broke apart again, she looked around the room. “The floor’s not even carpeted in here. Maybe we should go to another room. Carl’s office has a couch…”
“Carl’s office is locked. We don’t need to get on the floor.” He led her over to the shelves again and turned her to face them. “Put your hands here.” He curled her fingers around the edge of a shelf. “Now lean over.” He reached down to stroke her pussy.
She gasped a
t the sensation of his fingers on her hypersensitive flesh. “How does that feel?” he asked.
“Oh, yes, that feels wonderful.”
“Are you sure?” He slid one finger into her, plunging deep. “I want it to feel good for you. I could try to pick the lock on Carl’s office….”
“No!” She shook her head. “Don’t stop.” Her eyes met his, pleading. “I want you in me. Please.”
He stepped away, and she heard the sound of tearing foil, then he was behind her again, grasping her hips as he plunged into her. His hands covered her breasts, cradling her. It felt so good to be filled with him, surrounded by him, adored by him.
Bent over this way, he could move deeper within her, exciting parts that had remained untouched before. She began to pant, feeling her climax building, faster and steeper this time.
He increased his pace, thrusting and withdrawing, each stroke both satisfying and building the ache within her. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, moving one hand to her clit. “I love that you don’t hold anything back from me.”
She couldn’t answer, rendered incoherent by the movement of his cock in her and his hand on her. She shut her eyes and let her climax overtake her. He held her more tightly, and the muscles of his thighs contracted against her as he came with a hard thrust that sent her hands sliding forward, CDs in their jewel cases cascading onto the floor around them.
He pulled out of her, then turned her to face him, and gathered her into his arms. She pressed her face against his sweat-dampened chest and breathed in deeply of the sex-and-male scent of him. A smell that was at the same time erotic and deeply comforting. He held her tightly, and she thought about how strong he was physically, yet how vulnerable his emotions were, at least around her.
Her own emotions had felt pretty vulnerable lately around him, too. She cared for him so much, she sometimes forgot about everything else in her life. She started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
She drew back to look up at him. “Carl—or anyone else could have come walking in the past few minutes and I wouldn’t have cared. I probably wouldn’t have even noticed, I was so into it.”
