by Leslie Kelly
"Yes, I'm sure it is."
He curled one arm protectively across her shoulders and led her to his house. They paused inside the doorway only long enough for Chase to push her coat off her shoulders to the floor. Before she realized his intention, he was bending down to pick her up.
"Don't carry me," she protested weakly.
"Shut up and kiss me, Claude."
She smiled, reached a hand up to cup his face and complied.
In the kisses they had shared before, Claudia had always been sure of Chase's desire for her. But there had been a certain restraint, a pulling back. Now he hid nothing. He was hungry for her. He caught her mouth with his and positively inhaled her. She'd never felt so desired in her life.
He paused as they entered his bedroom, and gently let her slide down his body until she stood in front of him. Claudia watched him reach over to flip on the light switch, then glanced quickly around.
His room looked just the same.
Claudia bit her lip as she stared at the bed, remembering Sarah's birth in that very spot just one year before. Chase caught her eye and smiled softly.
"I think about that night a lot, too," he admitted.
Suddenly shy, remembering he had seen her in an incredibly intimate moment, Claudia lowered her eyes. Chase caught her chin and lifted her face to his.
"It was the most amazing experience I've ever had. Seeing your strength and resilience, and now knowing you for the incredible woman that you are, has made me want you more than I ever dreamed possible."
Claudia's breath came faster as Chase moved his fingers to her neck and gently began stroking the tender skin beneath her ear. Slowly, so slowly it nearly drove her insane, he trailed his fingertips across her collarbones until they met at the top button of her dress. He caught her mouth in a kiss, sliding his tongue against hers just as he deftly slipped the top button free and moved his fingers down to the next one.
The room was cool with the October night air, but Claudia didn't think she'd ever felt more hot. Her clothes stuck to her, annoying her sensitive flesh, and she nearly purred as Chase slid her dress from her shoulders and let it fall to the floor.
"You're beautiful," he whispered as he looked down at her.
Claudia felt no embarrassment at his eyes traveled down her body to her black lacy bra. She saw the pulse in his temple pound and watched him part his lips and draw in a deep breath. Her skin tingled in reaction and she felt her nipples grow hard under his gaze. As if he couldn't resist, he bent and pressed his mouth against her breast, breathing hotly through the lace. She moaned. Her knees feeling week, she raised a hand to his shoulder for support.
Chase was on fire. He had been burning for this woman for so long he couldn't remember the man he was before. In his mind he tried to go slow, to remember it had been a very long time since Claudia had made love. But that very thought excited him beyond measure. She wanted him. Her body was begging him silently to please her, and he was going to do exactly that.
Sliding his hands down her midriff to her waist, he nudged her backwards until she fell back onto the bed. Chase turned his attention to her long legs, starkly pale against the dark green comforter. She didn't shrink away under his admiring stare, but instead raised one arm and reached for him. He moved toward her instantly.
"You're a little overdressed, I think," she said softly as she tugged the bottom of his heavy cotton shirt out of the waistband of his jeans. Impatient, he helped her, yanking the shirt up and off. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him down to lie beside her on the bed. Then her cool hands were on his chest, stroking him until he couldn't hear anything but the pounding of his own heart pumping hot blood through his veins.
Claudia couldn't stop touching him. It was amazing to her that his flesh could feel so warm and pliant, yet cover the hard rippling muscles of a perfectly toned male body. She wanted to feel more. Reaching for his belt, she quickly unbuckled it, and pushed away his hands when he tried to help. Though she wanted to pause and savor the feel of his hard erection pressing hungrily against his clothes, her own hunger wouldn't allow it. She quickly unfastened his jeans and pushed them down, loving his groan as she allowed the back of her hand to slide along the rigid length of him.
Then she had to just look. Claudia sucked in her breath at the sight of him, masculine and proud, almost desperate to have all that male strength inside her body. .
"Look at me like that and this is going to proceed a lot quicker than I'd planned," Chase said as he shrugged the rest of the way out of the jeans and kicked them to the floor.
The obvious evidence of his desire for her gave her tremendous confidence. Slowly rising to her knees, Claudia slid one leg across his waist and straddled him. He arched up into her, as if answering the demands of his own body, and the feel of his thick erection pressed against her made her hiss with sheer anticipation.
Offering him a deep sultry smile, she reached behind her back to unfasten her bra. His eyes darkened as she slid the straps down her arms. Before her breasts were even fully exposed, he'd leaned up to place his mouth on them. She moaned as he breathed warmly through the fabric, anticipating the more intimate feel of his mouth on her bare skin.
Slowly, as if wanting to enjoy the anticipation, he pulled the bra down, exposing the full curve of her breast. Chase made a little sound of appreciation as he stared at her for a long moment. Finally, when she thought she’d go crazy from waiting, he leaned up again and took one taut nipple into his mouth, sucking deeply.
“Oh, yes,” she cried, sinking her hands in his thick hair. Pleasure roared through her, bringing all her nerve endings to life. Claudia became one a mass of throbbing sensation, all hot and filled with wonder. Through the thin film of her panties she felt his heavy erection, and her body's own rush of answering moisture. “I want you so much.”
"Same here—I don’t think I can wait, Claudia. I have to be in you right now."
Claudia smiled the slow, knowing smile of a woman aware of her own power, and slid off his lap. Never taking her eyes from his, she hooked one finger into the side of her underpants and pulled them off. He stared at her, swallowed hard, then reached to the nightstand and fumbled around until he found a condom.
"Let's pull the comforter down," Claudia said softly. "I wouldn't want to ruin it."
Her words, so similar to the ones she'd voiced under such different circumstances the night of Sarah's birth, brought them both to laughter.
"To hell with the comforter,” he said.
One moment later, Claudia was on her back and he was above her, wrapping her in his arms as he began to slide into her. Claudia hadn’t made love in a long time, but she wasn’t at all worried about letting him possess her fully. She was ready for him, aroused and willing. Her softness yielded instantly to his steely strength, as, inch by inch, he made himself a place inside her….a place that somehow seemed permanent, and vitally important.
By the time he’d buried himself within her, she was on the verge of tears, certain she'd never felt anything more delicious in her life. She closed her eyes, determined to savor every deep sensation, loving the heaviness of his body on hers, the roughness of his hair on her skin, the smell of his skin. And, especially she loved the deep, steady strokes as he filled her.
"I've wanted you for a long time," Claudia admitted, whispering through choppy breaths.
"I know. I've felt the same," he muttered in response.
There were no more words as the rhythm caught them and Claudia gave herself over to it. Lost in sensation, she couldn't form another coherent thought as he filled her again and again until she screamed in delight, and he answered with a final powerful thrust and a shout.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Claudia awoke to the feel of a warm mouth on her belly.
"Good morning," Chase whispered against her skin.
Not even opening her eyes, she smiled broadly and stretched under his caress. He moved with her, trailing kisses across her hip.
"Good morning yourself," she whispered.
"Did you sleep well?"
"No," she replied with a feigned yawn, suddenly a lot more awake than she let on. Deliciously awake. Filled with anticipation and a flash of desire. "Someone kept waking me up all night long with these outrageous demands."
Chase’s chuckle was decidedly evil. "Are you complaining? Because, I can stop if you want me to.”
Her bluff completely called, she replied, "Don't you dare stop, Chase. Don't even think about it."
He didn’t, going right back to press another warm kiss on her hip, then on the indentation below her belly. She shivered, shocked at the waves of pleasure undulating through her as all her senses came alive again. When his jaw brushed against her curls, teasing, taunting her, Claudia groaned and twisted on the bed, unable to stop herself from silently asking for more. He’d given her so much during the night, making love to her over and over. She didn’t think she’d ever feel whole again when he wasn’t with her, now that she’d experienced that fullness, that delicious sense of possession she felt when Chase was buried deep inside her. But now, her body was ready for even more intimacy.
When he moved his mouth down and his tongue delved into the tender folds of her sex, she cried out. Pleasure washed over her, intense and almost surreal. Claudia tangled her fingers in Chase’s thick hair, unable to do anything except take the pleasure he seemed determined to give her
He drove her mad with tender flicks of his tongue, then sucked the sensitive nub of her clitoris into his mouth. The intensity rose and rose, spiraling up until she felt like she was flying on top of the room. Then, with one more gentle taste, he sent her right over the top. An explosion of sensation burst through her, sending warmth and liquid delight through every inch of her.
She was still shaking from it when he moved between her thighs and slid into her again. She twined her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips, welcoming him back inside her.
“I think I could get addicted to this,” he murmured.
“I think I already am,” she replied.
Then they couldn’t speak, they could only thrust gently, from slow to fast, then back again, taking and giving.
And loving.
Later that morning, Claudia woke again, and glanced at the clock. It was nearly ten, and she'd told Melanie she'd be over to pick up Sarah by eleven. Though she hated to leave the warmth of Chase's arms, she slipped out of the bed.
"Don't leave," he said as he reached for her.
"I have to go get the baby."
He nodded and leaned back against the pillows, crossing his arms behind his head as he watched her move naked across the room. Claudia wondered why she didn't feel shy. She was naked, in broad daylight, after all. But after the night they'd shared, the delicious intimacies he'd introduced her to, she just couldn't muster any coyness. Her body was still tingling in spots she didn't even know existed before he'd kissed them, in areas she never knew were erogenous until his hands were on them.
"When will you be back?" he asked.
Claudia pulled her dress over her head and said, "After lunch. Why?"
"I was just thinking about that long afternoon nap that child of yours likes to take. Still a good two hours?"
Claudia smiled wickedly at him as she smoothed her dress down over her hips.
"Yes, indeed, Mr. Paxton. Think we can find something to do to fill up two hours?"
His eyes darkened as he swept them over the front of her body. She could feel his gaze almost as if he touched her.
"I think I can fill you up for a lot more than two hours."
Melanie and Ryan urged her to remain all afternoon, but Claudia found excuses to leave just after lunch. Still, she couldn't avoid all her friend's questions about the previous evening. Claudia did not tell Melanie how her date had ended. It wasn't just that she didn't want Melanie to worry about what Andrew had done, Claudia wasn't ready to talk about her new relationship with Chase. Especially since, at this point, she didn't really have any clue what the relationship really meant.
"Please plan to stay for dinner one night this week, all right?" her friend asked as Claudia buckled Sarah into her car seat.
After promising she would, Claudia drove home. She'd missed Sarah dreadfully, especially since she'd never been apart from her overnight before, and rocked her for a long time before putting her down for her afternoon nap.
Chase's timing was perfect. He knocked gently on her front door less than five minutes after she put Sarah to bed. Slightly nervous, Claudia swept a hand through her hair and smoothed her sweater before answering the door.
"Hi," she said softly, unsure how to meet the man who'd brought her to ecstasy so many times the night before.
Chase didn't seem at all uncertain. He slid his hands into her hair, cupping her head and drew her forward for a deep, wet kiss. Claudia felt her legs turn to mush as she leaned against him for support, unable to form a single thought except how much she wanted him.
"Hi," he finally said after he ended the kiss and smiled down into her face.
"Wow, you sure know how to greet someone," Claudia murmured.
After Chase walked into the living room and sat down, Claudia went into the kitchen and poured them each a drink. When she returned, she sat next to him on the couch, close, but not quite touching
"So, what did Melanie have to say?" he asked.
"About what?" she asked, instantly on guard.
Chase stared at her hard, and she wondered if he heard the strident note in her voice. "You didn't tell her."
It wasn't a question. She shook her head slowly.
"That's fine," he replied. "I understand why you wouldn't want to. To tell you the truth, Claudia, I'd prefer it that way. I'd rather nobody else knew what was going on between us, especially at work."
Though she should have been relieved, Claudia felt a brief stab of disappointment that Chase didn't want anyone to know about their relationship. Relationship? Until she at least knew what to call what was going on between them, it was better that no one else knew.
"Of course," she said. "Can I get you something else? Are you hungry?"
Chase sat his glass on the table and took hers out of her hand. Claudia inched back a little as he leaned over her and said softly, "I'm very hungry, Claudia. Very, very hungry."
Monday afternoon, Claudia finished up some last revisions to a program she was working on and noticed it was a half-hour past quitting time. She'd been so wrapped up in her work that she hadn't even noticed it. She was putting the last of her things away when her office door opened and Chase looked in.
"I thought I saw your light on. I just got off a teleconference...lasted nearly two hours. Are you ready to go?"
Claudia nodded, Chase shook his head and stood to leave the office. When they reached the outer doors, Chase asked, “Do you have a jacket with you? It was supposed to get pretty chilly out.”
“No, I didn’t think to. It was so bright and sunny this morning. Hopefully I can get the heat going in that old heap of mine.”
“I’m surprised you can get that thing running at all,” Chase muttered.
“It’s getting more and more difficult,” Claudia admitted. “I think I’m going to have to bite the bullet and trade it in.”
“I hate to break it to you, sweetheart,” he said, “but I don’t think you have much of a bargaining chip there.”
Laughing, she walked with him out the front door. When Chase slid his hand into hers, she glanced down in surprise then squeezed his fingers lightly. The temperature had indeed dropped, and she shivered a little, surprised at how quickly fall had descended. As much as she hated the thought of the approaching winter, Claudia conceded that this year might be better than previous ones. Sarah's first birthday was coming up. Christmas, too, should be very special this year. She even pictured playing in the snow, making snow angels and building snowmen with the baby.
Then there was Chase. She didn't know where their re
lationship was headed, but suddenly long winter nights in his arms sounded heavenly.
Chase opened her car door for her and kissed her lightly on the forehead before she got in.
"Call me when you get home, all right?" he insisted. "I'll be finished up here in another half hour and won't be too far behind."
Claudia nodded. Getting in her car, she said a quick, silent prayer, put the key in the ignition and turned it. Nothing. She tried again, and was rewarded with complete silence.
“Damn,” she muttered as she sat back and banged the steering wheel with the palm of her hand.
A knock sounded on the car window and Claudia glanced up to see Chase looking in at her. Rolling down the window, she smiled weakly.
“Problems?” he asked, as if he didn’t already know.
“Won’t start.”
“Let me try,” he said.
Claudia slid over into the passenger seat to make room as Chase opened the door and got in. He turned the key, but no miracle of mechanics responded to the presence of the mighty Y chromosome in the car. It was still dead.
“Could be the battery,” Chase said. “I have some jumper cables.”
Claudia frowned. “No, it’s not that. I just had the battery replaced two months ago.”
“That’s about as far as my auto mechanic skills will get you,” Chase admitted with a sheepish grin. “Change a flat, pump the gas, change the oil...I can handle that. Anything more complicated and you lose me. I do better with wood than metal.”
He smiled at her, and Claudia was suddenly very aware of how small her car really was. His long, hard thigh was separated from hers by no more than a few inches, and she could feel the warmth of his breath as he spoke.
“I’ll call a friend of mine who owns a garage and ask him to tow it over and check it out," Chase offered.
“I appreciate that,” she said. “I guess I’d better go back in and call Melanie and see if she or Ryan could pick me up.”
“Don’t be silly,” Chase retorted. “I’ll drive you home.”
