“Fuck.” He pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes. He had to stop thinking about her or he’d drive himself crazy. Lowering his hands, he stared out the windshield at the world around him. It was almost lunchtime and the convenience store was doing a brisk business. Mike Sloan, a buddy of his who was a general contractor, had pulled in next to him and was climbing out of his truck.
Knowing he had no other choice, Carson opened his door and willed his body into submission. It wasn’t easy, and he’d only partially managed it by the time he got to the front of his truck, where his friend was waiting for him.
Mike stared at him, his head cocked to one side. “You okay, buddy?”
“Yeah.” He forced a smile. “I’m fine. How’s Annabelle?” Annabelle was Mike’s wife and a surefire way to distract him from a topic of conversation that Carson didn’t want to pursue. What was between him and Lily was private.
A huge smile split Mike’s face. “Annabelle is great.” Carson envied the relationship Mike and his wife had. They were obviously in love and didn’t care who knew it. “Got time to grab some lunch?”
Carson checked his watch. He had to meet a client about a perspective job, but he still had an hour to spare. “Sure.”
Mike motioned to a sub shop that sat next to the convenience store. “I just got a contract to revamp an old apartment building downtown. It’s the one Tucker used to live in before he and Emma married.”
Tucker was a mutual friend and Carson nodded. He knew the apartment building well.
“They’re going condo and upscale,” Mike continued. “You interested in putting in a bid on the landscaping?”
The mention of new business got his attention, or at least most of it. “I’m interested. You can give me the details over lunch and I’ll see about putting a proposal together.”
“Good enough. They’re talking about plants in the foyer and a rooftop garden as well as the landscaping around the building.”
Carson followed Mike into the sub shop, his mind already focusing on the project. “They’ll need someone to upkeep the gardens as well.” That was a service that Granger Gardens also provided, for a tidy fee.
“For sure.” Mike turned to the clerk at the counter and ordered a roast beef sub. After he’d paid, Carson placed an order for a pizza sub. The place was busy so their conversation was curtailed while they waited for their orders. When their sandwiches were ready, they carried them over to a corner table.
As Mike continued to give more information about the project, Carson forced himself to concentrate on the details. He pulled a small notebook out of his back pocket, jotted down notes and asked pertinent questions. This could be a very lucrative job for his company, a challenge too. And Carson loved a challenge.
But always in the back of his mind, teasing his senses, were thoughts of Lily and what would happen when he called her later tonight.
Chapter Three
Lily was a nervous wreck by the time nine o’clock came. She’d managed to keep her attention on her work for most of the day, and to be truthful, she’d gotten a heck of a lot more done than she’d thought she would after Carson left. She smiled ruefully. What she’d done was transfer all her pent-up sexual energy onto the pages of her manuscript. Her poor characters, Angie and Simon, were just as frustrated as she was.
She paced back and forth across her bedroom floor, her bare feet making no sound on the area rug. The sheets of her bed were turned back invitingly. They were fresh too. She’d changed them late this afternoon.
She’d also taken a long, hot bath using the lavender bath salts that Ethan had given her for Mother’s Day. She almost hadn’t used them. Somehow it had seemed wrong to use the bath crystals her son had given her to prepare for an evening of phone sex.
Lily heaved a sigh and rubbed her hands over her arms. She was losing her mind if she was worried about such things. In the end, she’d decided that Ethan would never know so she didn’t need to feel guilty over it. She’d also shaved her legs and slathered moisturizer all over her body. Which was ridiculous when she thought about it. Nobody would see her. Still, it helped her relax and made her feel better.
But that had been an hour ago.
Pausing by her dresser, she plucked her brush up and gave her hair an absent swipe or two before tossing it back down. She glanced in her mirror and sighed. She looked exactly like what she was—an almost forty-year-old woman with the beginnings of crow’s feet around her eyes, wearing a slightly faded nightshirt and no makeup.
The nightshirt was her newest one, but it was still about a year old. It didn’t have any holes or anything, but it was faded from many washings. Her underwear and nightclothes weren’t something she normally worried about.
She didn’t even have any sexy lingerie to wear. Not that she would have worn it. She spun away from the mirror in disgust. Of course she would have worn it. Hadn’t she almost gone to the local mall to look for some? Maybe just a new satin bra and panty set or a silk teddy. The only thing stopping her was that she didn’t want to end up feeling totally ridiculous if Carson didn’t call.
In the end, she’d opted for wearing no underwear at all. That was better than wearing her plain white cotton bikini panties with the stretched elastic at the waist. She really needed to buy some new underwear.
Perching on the side of her bed, she shivered. It was too early to go to bed, besides which, she wasn’t tired at all. If anything, she was far too wound up to sleep. Grabbing her terry-cloth robe, she tugged it on and belted it. The bedside clock seemed to mock her as the number changed again. It was now five minutes past nine.
“This is just stupid,” she muttered as she stood and stalked to the closet for her slippers. She was through with waiting. There was a tub of double fudge ice cream in her freezer for emergencies, and if this didn’t qualify as an emergency, she didn’t know what did.
She was halfway down the stairs when the phone rang. It seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet house. Lily halted, uncertain what to do. Then she scolded herself. “Just because the phone is ringing doesn’t mean that it’s Carson. He probably changed his mind. It’s probably Annabelle or Emma.” She hadn’t talked to either of her two best friends in a few days. They all had busy lives but tried to keep in touch on a regular basis, even having lunch together every week or so. “Or maybe Ethan.” She kept up a running commentary as she hurried back into her bedroom and grabbed her phone off the bedside table.
“Hello.” She was slightly breathless, her heart pounding in anticipation.
“Hi.” Carson’s deep voice came across the phone line. Lily sat down hard on the side of her bed.
“I wasn’t sure you’d actually call,” she blurted out. Her stomach was in knots waiting for him to say something else.
The silence on the other end grew until finally he spoke. “This is your decision, Lily. If you want, we can pretend I called to get Ethan’s address. Or”—he paused and Lily gripped her phone tighter—“we can relax and enjoy our conversation and wherever it leads.”
“I’m not sure what to do.” God, could she sound any more pathetic? “I mean, I know how this works, in theory. But I’ve never actually done it.”
“Me neither. Why don’t we both take a deep breath and try to relax?” She could hear rustling in the background.
“Where are you?” Curiosity compelled her to ask. She fiddled with the belt of her robe.
“I’m lying on my bed. Where are you?”
Visions of Carson reclining against his pillows made her swallow. She wondered what he was wearing or if he was wearing anything at all. She kicked off her slippers and curled her legs beneath her. “Bedroom.”
He made a deep, rumbling sound that made her smile. “I thought about you all day.”
“Really?” Beginning to relax, she transferred the phone to her other ear and stretched out on top of her comforter.
“Yeah, really. Made it hard to work at times.” She could hear the self-deprecating humor in his t
one, and it made her smile.
“I noticed you had a bit of a problem when you left here today.” Her breasts grew heavy as she remembered the large bulge in the front of his jeans.
“I’ve still got that problem.” His voice was little more than a husky whisper and set all her nerve endings tingling. “What are you wearing?”
She wanted to tell him that she was wearing some fabulously sexy nightgown or a slinky teddy, but she knew she wouldn’t. Lily couldn’t lie to save her life and she’d only trip herself up if she made something up. “My old terry-cloth bathrobe and a cotton nightshirt.” She traced her finger over one of the yellow roses printed on her comforter.
“I’ll bet you look all cozy and soft.”
She laughed. He’d surprised her with his reply. “I’m warm and comfortable. How about you? What are you wearing?” She was dying to know.
“Boxers. Navy blue boxers.”
Lily pressed her thighs together as the image of Carson wearing nothing but a pair of boxers fired her imagination. His legs were long and muscled. Maybe his hand was resting on his belly, emphasizing the six-pack abs. His other hand would be tucked behind his head as he relaxed.
Ignoring the dampness between her legs, she allowed her mind to wander. She followed the line of his arm back down to his stomach. His chest was magnificent. Wide and muscular, she could stare at it all day. He had flat brown nipples with a light dusting of hair between them. The thatch of hair then narrowed and the thin band arrowed down his abdomen, disappearing into the band of his boxers.
“Are you still there?” Carson’s voice shook her out of her fantasy.
“Yes.” She gulped in a mouthful of air. “I’m still here.”
“What were you thinking? Your breathing got heavier.”
“I was thinking about you lying there wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.” She was starting to sweat and tugged at the tie on her robe until it gave way. Peeling back one of the sides, she flapped it back and forth, hoping the slight breeze would cool her off.
“Hmm, I was imagining you without the robe.”
Her hand stilled and she stared down at the plain white terry-cloth. “Okay.”
“Okay, what?” She could hear the mounting tension in his voice and it thrilled her.
“I’m taking it off.” Tucking the phone between her shoulder and her ear, she removed her robe and tossed it to the end of the bed.
“What about your nightshirt?” Was it her imagination or was his voice getting deeper?
“I’ll take off mine if you’ll take off yours.” She heard a swish of fabric in the background.
“I’m naked.” Those two words had her heart pounding and her sex throbbing. “Are you?”
She tried to speak, but nothing came out on the first attempt. “Hang on.” Laying the phone on her pillow, she grabbed the hem of her nightshirt and pulled it over her head. The fabric grazed her nipples, making them pucker even tighter. She moaned, unable to hold it in. Her entire body was over-sensitized, ripe and ready. All the sexual feelings she’d suppressed throughout the day came roaring back.
She clung to her last covering, unable to make herself release it. Once she did, there was no going back. Not for her. If she dropped the nightshirt, she wasn’t going to stop until she orgasmed. Her feminine muscles spasmed as if to encourage her.
Taking a deep breath, she let the nightshirt go and watched as the pale lilac fabric drifted to the mattress beside her. Resolved, she shoved it the rest of the way off the bed and grabbed her phone. Carson was calling her name. “I’m here.” She sounded breathless.
“Good.” There was relief in his voice. “I thought I lost you there for a minute.”
“It took me a while to . . . you know.” Even though she was alone in her room, it had been harder than she’d thought to let go of her clothing. The action was real. Carson might not be here, but he knew she was naked. They both were.
God, this was crazy, but she didn’t want to stop.
“I know.” His voice was low and gentle and she could hear the understanding in his tone. He really did seem to appreciate how difficult this was for her. That made her feel slightly better.
“I think we should get on with this before I chicken out.” Already goose bumps were running up her thighs and arms, partly from arousal and partly from the cool air touching her naked flesh.
“Touch yourself.” His blunt words made her freeze in place.
This so wasn’t a good idea. Once she did this, there was no going back. She and Carson would have a shared sexual experience. “Where?” Lily briefly closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe slowly.
“Anywhere you want. Everywhere. Pretend it’s my hand that’s touching you, Lily. I wish it was my hand cupping your breast.” Her hand automatically went to her breast and she gasped. “That’s it.” His voice was low and rough with arousal. She found it very sexy. “Are you doing what I asked?”
“Yes,” she groaned. She’d touched her breasts many times over the years, but it had never felt this intense, this erotic.
“Rub your thumb over your nipple. I’ll bet it’s already puckered into a tight little bud, isn’t it?”
She moved her legs restlessly against the comforter. “It is.” She watched, enthralled as her thumb rotated slowly around and over her nipple.
“What color is it? Dusky pink or deep red or maybe mauve.” Cream trickled from between her thighs. His graphic commands and questions were turning her on, and she had some of her own.
“Dusky pink,” she managed to get out. “I want you to wrap your hand around your cock.” If she could write the word in her books, she could darn well say it out loud, even if it was a first for her.
Carson groaned. “I wish it was your soft hand gripping me. My hands are callused and rough.”
Lily almost swallowed her tongue as she imagined it was Carson cupping her breasts, skimming his fingers down her torso and grazing her hips on the journey to her sex. Her hand followed where her imagination led and she suddenly realized her fingers were poised just above her pubic hair.
Startled, her entire body jerked and she almost lost the phone. She grabbed it and placed it close to her ear, jamming another pillow into place to keep it secure and free up her other hand.
“Lily?”
“I’m here. I was just fixing the phone so I wouldn’t lose it.”
“I’ve got you on speaker phone.” His low chuckle made her inner muscles clench. “I knew I’d want both hands free. I’m stroking my hand up and down my cock, all the while wishing it was yours. What are you doing?”
She tried to picture what he’d look like. His erection was substantial. That much she knew from this morning in her kitchen. But just how long and thick was a mystery. She wanted to run her fingers over the deep blue veins that ran the length of him. She wanted to place her lips on the darker bulbous head and taste him. He’d be salty and warm and musky. She licked her lips, able to imagine his taste. The crisp hair of his groin would tickle her cheek as she licked a path from the base to the tip.
She shuddered and moaned.
“Talk to me.” She could hear the growing desperation in his voice and knew he was as close to the edge as she was. That alone gave her the courage to continue.
“My hand is poised just above my pubic hair.”
“Curly or straight? Or do you shave?”
Perspiration dotted her forehead as she sifted her fingers through the thatch of hair. “Curly and thick.”
Carson groaned. “You’re killing me here.”
“Pump your hand faster.” It was a turn-on to know Carson was playing with his erection while she was touching herself.
“I will if you spread your legs and touch yourself.” His heavy breathing came through the line. “You’ve got to talk to me. Tell me what you’re doing.”
Lily’s entire body felt more alive than it had in years. The comforter touching the backs of her legs, bottom and the long line of her spine was like a s
ensual caress. She cupped one breast and tweaked her nipple as she raised her knees and spread her legs. “I’ve got my legs parted and I’m touching my breast, fingering my nipple. It feels so good.”
“Say my name as you touch yourself. Please.”
“Carson,” she moaned as she skimmed her fingers over her sex. “I’m slick and so wet and it’s all for you.”
“Put your fingers inside yourself.”
She slowly slid one finger inside, arching her hips to meet it. “I wish it were your fingers. They’re longer. Thicker too.”
Carson was panting harder now. “God, Lily. I wish it were my fingers too. I’d push them in one at a time, stretching you, until I could get two or three inside you. Then I’d fuck you with them, brushing my thumb over your clit until you came.”
She inserted a second finger. Shifting her hand from her breast, she spread the folds of her labia wide and brushed her swollen clit with her middle finger. She tilted her head back on the pillow, rocking her hips forward on each thrust. “Two fingers. I’m using two,” she gasped. Her hips were pumping hard, her entire being focused on the sensations coursing through her body.
“I’m using both hands now. My balls are so damn tight.” She could hear his groans getting more frequent. “Harder, Lily. Harder.” She wasn’t sure if he meant for her to do herself harder or if he was imagining that it was her hands squeezing him harder while pumping faster. It didn’t matter. They were both on the edge of oblivion.
The roots of the hair on her head began to tingle. She pressed down hard on her clit and pushed her fingers inside one final time. “Carson!” She screamed his name as she came, barely registering when he yelled her name in return. Her hips jerked as spasms rocked her. Heat washed over her, leaving pleasure and exhaustion in its wake. When she finally came back to her senses, she was sprawled on her bed with her hands still buried between her thighs.
She shivered as the cool air began to dry the light sheen of perspiration that covered her from head to toe. Biting back a groan, she carefully removed her fingers from her core and let her legs fall back flat onto the mattress. Grabbing one end of the comforter, she flung it over herself. It didn’t cover her totally, but it was the best she could do at the moment.
Lily's List Page 3
