Nora giggled. “Take off your shoes, flatfoot.”
Now, there was an old-timey term that implied a taste for classic movies. She liked other classics, too, he saw from the books overflowing the shelves. As for those couches, he could imagine some very classic uses for them. “Yes, ma’am.”
Leo discovered his socks were thoroughly soaked, so he removed them, too. The better to enjoy the thick plush of the carpet as the two of them staggered to the kitchen to unload their gear. He put the leftovers in the fridge, and hoped he’d be around to enjoy them for breakfast.
“So what do you do for kicks on a Saturday night?” he asked.
“This,” said Nora, and wrapped her arms around him.
He hadn’t expected such boldness. But Leo, as befitted a former Boy Scout, was prepared.
They swayed together to silent music that vibrated through him. Leo slipped in the suave moves that women appreciated—cupping Nora’s face, studying her for a moment before kissing her deeply—but soon he was swept up by her insistent, mounting rhythm.
He managed to get through A and B, possibly C, if you counted his tie. Since Nora peeled off her own shredded pantyhose, he decided he could safely include removing her jacket among his standard package services. And naturally she needed help unzipping her dress, although she seemed to have no trouble undoing his pants.
He was hot all over, hotter than he’d been since his lusty teenage years. Nearly out of control. Barely sentient enough to mutter, “Are you sure about this?”
In response, she traced her tongue down his chest, which at this point was bare, although he didn’t recall taking off his shirt. He was leaning against the kitchen counter with this gorgeous blond vision tantalizing him in ways he’d only fantasized about.
If that didn’t amount to informed consent, what did?
With a supreme effort, Leo rallied to lift her dress over her head and toss it aside. Oh, man, he loved the impression of pink lace underthings against pale skin, and then one of them—he was almost certain it was Nora—unfastened her bra and he discovered that she was pink all over.
As he relished her breasts with his mouth, a couple of vague notions fleeted through Leo’s mind. The first had to do with a bed, but why bother when he could simply lift her onto a nearby piece of furniture that resembled an old-fashioned casting couch? Some Hollywood genius must have designed this thing with angles just perfect for what nature intended.
As for the second vague notion, he couldn’t remember what it was.
“I think we ought to…” Nora didn’t finish the sentence, possibly because he was removing the lacy wisp that passed for panties.
“Hold that thought,” Leo advised, and slowly, with a wonderfully mind-blowing sensation, penetrated her softness.
After that, he couldn’t think about anything except her.
SHE, NORA KENDALL, NEVER did this sort of thing. But tonight she felt utterly free and completely feminine for the first time in more than a year. Sexy. Young. And a touch delirious.
With Leo, she didn’t have to worry about expectations or anything but the moment. He’d offered sex, and she was taking it. Nothing more than that, and thank goodness. He was the most handsome, virile male she’d ever made love with…and she was going to stop thinking about what they were doing and simply go with her sensations right now.
His lips on her nipples…his hardness inside her…his rapid breathing and groans of pure pleasure drove Nora to one shuddering climax after another. She hadn’t realized she was capable of this. She sought more, until the power of his thrusts drove them both into another world.
His shout of joy startled her. Reese had never abandoned himself this way. Never lifted her to this level, either.
To hell with Reese. Who had he been, exactly?
“Oh, honey,” Leo murmured, cradling her as they both tried to balance on the divan, which didn’t have quite enough room for them to lie side by side. “Unbelievable.”
“Absolutely.” Since they were starting to slide, Nora added, “How about moving into the bedroom?”
“Great idea.”
In her queen-size bed, she curled against Leo’s broad chest and wondered how long it would take before they could do this again. She definitely craved a repeat. Maybe a whole series of them, hour after hour. Because making love to Leo was a once-in-a-lifetime treat, for many reasons. Younger than me, not ready to have kids, too handsome for my own good.
Her mind stuck on the too-handsome part as she bathed in Leo’s masculine scent. Oh, yes, he was well worth having again and again, before they went their separate ways tomorrow. All she needed was a short nap and she’d be ready for action.
The next thing Nora knew, she was waking up to pale morning sunshine, a champagne headache and, beside her, an empty dent in the pillow.
Chapter Three
From the kitchen, Leo heard Nora moving around in the bedroom wing. Since he’d awakened early by habit, he’d indulged in a prowl through her condo. Three, count ’em, three bedrooms—one serving as a home office—and two and a half baths. His house was at best two-thirds this size.
Paid for with her share from the divorce. Yesterday, he hadn’t given the subject much thought, but everybody in Safe Harbor knew who Reese Kendall was: president and founder of Kendall Technologies, which manufactured medical devices. The guy regularly made headlines with his charitable donations and art acquisitions.
Leo had learned from his father the importance of identifying the local power players. Besides, any police officer who planned to rise through the ranks was wise to pay attention. All citizens might be equal, but some required more kid-glove handling than others. And Reese was one of those.
As for Nora, she obviously had a career and position of her own. A prestigious, high-paid position. Too rich for your blood, Leo mused as he started the coffee. But since he wasn’t in this for the long term, what difference did it make?
He opened the fridge and contemplated the pros and cons of eating leftover salmon, sauced chicken, steamed vegetables and almond rice for breakfast. The pros won. He filled a plate.
While he waited for it to heat in the microwave, he suddenly realized what he’d forgotten last night.
Protection. Damn.
He always carried a packet of condoms, but he hadn’t been thinking straight. Still, while Nora had been tipsy, she wasn’t completely blotto. Surely, as a doctor, she’d put herself on the pill or used some other form of birth control.
No sense worrying about it. Still, Leo felt irked at his carelessness.
Then he saw her emerge from the hallway.
Morning light touched her emerald eyes. Golden hair fell around the shoulders of a short, satiny robe that gapped to reveal the curve of her breasts. His whole body came alive with longing.
The way he responded, you’d think he was starved for sex, Leo reflected. And the way she’d gone at him last night, he could almost swear she’d been starved for sex, too, but that seemed wildly unlikely. The single males who worked at the hospital would have to be dead below the waist to miss her unrepressed sensuality.
Thank goodness he and Nora were both consenting adults who knew the rules of engagement. When the fun ended, you walked away.
The timer rang. Leo ignored it. “You look great.”
She blinked. “I’m glad you’re still here. Mmm. Smells delicious.”
He removed the plate and handed it over, as if he’d fixed it for her all along. “Coffee?”
“Yes, please.” As she slid into a chair in the breakfast nook, the robe parted to reveal her long, slender legs. “My aspirin’s starting to kick in, but I need caffeine.”
Leo fixed another plate for himself and poured them both coffee. “Last night, we forgot something.”
“Yes, we did.” Nora paused with a fork halfway to her shapely mouth. “That would be D, E, F, G and H. I think we skipped all the way to Z.”
“I’ve always wanted to try Q, R and S.”
“Now
?”
He reached over, removed the fork from her hand, and set it on the table. “What an excellent idea.”
There was nothing underneath the robe, he discovered a moment later, and wished he hadn’t bothered putting on his own clothes. Slacks, polo shirt—he didn’t even finish getting out of them before he and Nora were on the carpet and he was forgetting about using a condom all over again.
SHE HAD TO BE OUT OF HER mind. Well, good, Nora mused, and forgot to think any further as she sailed through a series of climaxes and landed, breathing hard, on top of a thoroughly satisfied Leo. He must be satisfied, given all his groaning and gasping.
“Nice way to start the day,” she murmured. “I’m sure glad it’s Sunday.”
“We could do this again nine or ten times,” Leo observed.
“Don’t you ever wear out?” Unwilling to move, she lay sprawled across him.
“I’m twenty-nine. I don’t plan to wear out for years.” Her cell phone rang. “Ignore it.”
She wished she could. “I’m on call.”
“That sucks.”
“You said it.”
Nora disentangled herself and retrieved the phone from her robe pocket. “Dr. Kendall.” It took every ounce of concentration to sound cool and collected.
The nurse filled her in on the patient’s condition. Labor progressing well, delivery less than two hours away. “I’ll be there in an hour.” As Nora clicked off, she remembered her car was at Tony’s. “Can I ask a favor?”
A deep laugh rumbled from Leo. “Well, I’m not sure,” he teased.
“I need to pick up my car, fast. I hate to hurry you, but babies don’t wait.” Nora sighed. “And I haven’t even eaten breakfast.”
He scrambled to his feet. “I’m an expert at eating and showering in a flash. It’s practically an Olympic event for cops.”
“I’ll put my money on med students anytime.”
“Go!”
Although it wasn’t really a contest, Nora enjoyed the sense of friendly competition as she and Leo grabbed their plates and raced to the bathroom, snatching mouthfuls on the way. In the shower stall, she luxuriated in the pleasure of bumping against Leo, stealing kisses and tussling playfully for the soap.
She’d never felt this comfortable around Reese. He’d always seemed to be judging her. Positively, during the early years. That had changed gradually, Nora supposed. Then, in the months before his revelation about Persia, she’d caught him scrutinizing her with a touch of distaste.
She had to admit she’d gained ten pounds—fifteen on a bad day—since the wedding, but that was normal for a woman who’d reached her thirties. That shouldn’t have been enough to alienate him. What had Reese expected, that his wife would stay in her twenties forever?
Leo was younger than her, she reflected as they toweled off. “You don’t mind that I’ve got five years on you?” she asked, and watched for even a fleeting expression of dismay.
He grinned. “I like a woman with experience.”
There was nothing glib or manipulative in his tone. Still, Nora assumed this sexy cop got plenty of practice in the bedroom. He probably had to chase women away with his baton. Of course he didn’t mind the age difference, because their relationship was temporary.
Last night and this morning might have restored her sense of being desirable, but she’d be a fool to expect anything deeper. “You’re a terrific guy. This was fun.”
He paused, towel in hand, body splendidly naked. “Past tense? You make it sound as if it’s over.”
She shrugged apologetically. “Let’s not kid ourselves. We both knew this was a one-time thing, right?”
He folded his arms, a movement that emphasized the muscles in his chest. “Why? Because I’m some eye candy you picked up at a wedding and now it’s back to your real life?”
Where had that come from? Nora smacked him on the arm. “Get over yourself.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning, I like you a lot, but a relationship? We aren’t on the same page.” She slipped into her lingerie.
“Because I’m a cop?”
He was touchy. “First of all, if I do get involved, I’d like there to be a strong possibility of children within the foreseeable future.” She stepped into a pair of slacks. “Second, you’re a hunk and a half, and sooner or later you’ll ditch me for some young hottie like my wife-in-law.”
“Your what?”
“My ex-husband’s new wife. The term kind of captures the love-hate relationship, don’t you think? Except, in our case, it’s mostly hate-hate.” She fastened her blouse.
“I take it the breakup wasn’t a mutual decision,” he observed drily.
“A forty-two-year-old husband has an affair with his twenty-two-year-old executive trainee and declares that he’s found his soul mate? No, it wasn’t a mutual decision.” Immediately, Nora regretted her sarcasm. “Sorry. I refuse to let anger poison my life. You’ve helped me get past a few of my issues, Leo. What I need next is a guy who’s ready for the home-and-family thing, and I don’t think that’s you.”
Strong hands framed her waist. As Leo’s gray eyes fixed on hers, Nora nearly changed her mind. But a stopgap affair, no matter how appealing, could only weaken any chance she had of finding the right man in time to have a family.
“Damn shame,” Leo muttered.
“Sure is.” She could see in his expression that much as he’d like to argue, he agreed with her.
He released her, and they finished dressing. On the way out, he fetched a thermos from high in the cabinet and poured Nora a fresh cup of hot coffee to take to the hospital.
The guy truly was a keeper, she reflected with a twist of longing. For some other lucky woman.
A woman who had a few years to wait until Leo finished growing up.
BY MID-MARCH, THE rains had nourished a profusion of spring flowers in the beds around the medical office building where Nora had a second-floor suite. She barely noticed the sunshine or the cheery pink and purple petunias this Friday afternoon, though, as she hurried along the sidewalk toward the hospital next door.
She’d spent so much time with her last patient that her nurse, Bailey Wayne, had pried her away by claiming there was an emergency call. While it was important to help her patient make an informed decision about treating menopause symptoms, Nora hated to be late for the first teleconference with the director of the hospital’s planned new fertility program.
As if she weren’t late enough, she had to pause to let a team of construction workers haul heavy equipment across the walkway and around the side. Work was under way in several parts of the hospital, including the installation of an embryology lab in the basement and the remodeling of offices on the fifth floor. Original plans had called for acquiring a nearby dental building to house the fertility center, but the purchase had fallen through at the last minute, and now everything had to be fitted here and there into existing structures.
She had barely started forward again when her cell rang. Without checking the readout, she answered, “Dr. Kendall.”
“So you are still among the living.” Leo’s voice sent quivers through Nora.
Over the past three weeks, her dreams and daydreams had replayed their night together in a blur of longing and misgivings. Twice, he’d left messages, which she hadn’t returned. Sticking to her guns and using her best judgment.
Then why did she feel overjoyed to hear from him? “I don’t mean to be rude, but I thought I made my position clear.”
“And I thought I made it clear I don’t give up easily,” he replied. “Don’t tell me you couldn’t use a stress buster.”
Nora hurried through the staff entrance into the six-story medical center. “Is that supposed to sound romantic?” She flinched at the edge to her words. “I’m sorry. There’s no reason why you should sound romantic.”
“You’re really not interested,” he said ruefully. “Guess you didn’t enjoy that night as much as I did.”
Oh,
yeah? Making love with Leo had banished a lot of the loneliness and rejection of the past year. Talking with him now aroused an almost painful craving to take refuge in his arms. How easily she could get involved all over again, if she let herself act like a fool.
Reaching the bank of elevators, Nora pressed the up button. “I’m late for a meeting. Leo, I’m glad you called but…”
“You aren’t into me,” he returned sharply. “I get it.”
She hated antagonizing him. “This is for the best.”
“I figured we’d both enjoy letting off a little steam. But it’s no big deal.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
“Yeah. Have a nice life.” He clicked off.
The elevator arrived. Riding alone, Nora wished she didn’t have to worry about time and fertility, so she could afford to enjoy herself with Leo. She’d never felt so sexually compatible with a man before.
Since she’d matured physically as a teenager, people often took her for the cheerleader-sorority-girl stereotype, but she’d never been comfortable with relationships. If her mother hadn’t died in a car accident when she was five, perhaps Nora would have developed better social skills during adolescence. At least she’d have had someone to ask about how to handle boys’ demands and expectations.
Her father, a biology professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, had encouraged Nora’s studies, but he was clueless about her emotional side. And she’d been too shy to confide in her aunt, her father’s sister, who lived a couple of hours away. Instead, she’d dealt with the awkwardness by burying herself in her schoolwork.
During college and med school, she’d had a few brief affairs, but nothing serious. Then she’d moved to Safe Harbor to take a staff position and had met Reese at a medical conference. Sophisticated and charming, he’d slipped past her defenses and won her trust.
Which showed how gullible she’d been.
The elevator stopped at the fourth floor, jolting Nora’s thoughts back to the upcoming teleconference. This would be her first chance to find out what the world-famous, abrasive Dr. Owen Tartikoff had in mind. Although he couldn’t leave his position in Boston for several months, he was already rumored to be planning policies that would change the way ob-gyns like her practiced medicine at Safe Harbor.
Officer Daddy Page 3
