Let Them Talk

by Susanna Carr

  “Stop,” Sean said quietly, raising his hands, motioning her to halt.

  She froze and her eyes went wide. “What’s wrong?”

  “We should continue this somewhere private.” The gentle smile was at odds with the hunger glittering in his eyes.

  She smiled and took another step. She knew she had nothing to be nervous about. Sean placed her pleasure and her privacy above all else.

  “Call me selfish,” he said as he watched the sway of her hips, “but I want your whole attention on me.”

  “When is it not?” she asked lightly. She was crazy about this man. The moment he had stepped into the library it had been impossible to focus on the event. She’d had to keep her distance so she could do her job.

  Sean curled his fingers at his sides. “Did you follow my text?” he asked impatiently.

  Isabel stopped and sat on the edge of her desk. “Why did you make the request?”

  His eyes narrowed when she didn’t answer his question. “I knew I was going to need an incentive to get through the poetry jam. The ode to a tractor almost had me running out the door.”

  She crossed her legs, biting back a smile as the movement mesmerized Sean. “It’s quite a risk you were asking me to take.”

  “Hardly,” he argued hoarsely. He dipped his finger under his shirt collar as if it had become too tight. “Your dress goes past your knees. Let me see if you did what I asked.”

  She reached for the hem of her dress and slowly inched it up her bare legs. Isabel paused as it reached midthigh. “Here’s the thing...”

  Sean groaned and speared his hands through his blond hair. She knew he wanted to rip her dress off and bury himself in her. Her core clenched with anticipation.

  “There was no mention of my reward for following your request.” She crossed her legs again.

  He tugged at the knot in his tie and slowly exhaled. “It was implied.”

  She shrugged. “I was going to have you in my bed tonight no matter what.”

  “There was no mention of punishment, either,” he said in a grumble. “I realize now where I went wrong.”

  She dropped the hem and smoothed out her dress. She loved teasing him. Always had. His impatience emboldened her. He was more than just attracted to her. Isabel had as much power over Sean as he had over her. Still, she needed to know that she wasn’t the only one who was in too deep for a casual fling.

  “You couldn’t follow it.” Sean’s voice was just above a whisper.

  Isabel leaned back and flattened her hands on the desk. She watched him carefully. He didn’t show disappointment or rejection. She was surprised to see tenderness and understanding instead.

  Damn, she loved this guy.

  “It’s probably for the best,” Sean said as he stepped directly in front of her. “I don’t want to push you too far.”

  “Oh, please,” she said as she uncrossed her legs. “You love challenging me.”

  “You get a kick out of challenging me, too,” he reminded her. “And you are the only one who can push me to the brink and then pull me back.”

  “You are the only one who can get me to push my boundaries,” she admitted. She trusted him, knowing this was more than sex to him. He cared about her.

  He leaned forward and flattened his hands on the desk, his arms bracketing her. “And I have found them.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Are you sure I didn’t follow your text?”

  Sean tilted his head and studied her innocent expression. “Isabel, I’m going to give you until the count of three or I will find out for myself.”

  Isabel chuckled. “You’d have to catch me first.” Her bold statement wasn’t much of a challenge as he already surrounded her. She wouldn’t get far. But it didn’t matter. The hot look in his eyes indicated that he was just waiting for an excuse to pounce.

  Sean swiped the tip of his tongue along his bottom lip. “One...”

  Isabel reached for her purse, delved her hand inside and pulled out the lace panties.

  “T...” Sean’s voice trailed off. His gaze darted from the white lace in her hand to her face. “You did it.”

  “Did I?” she asked playfully as lust pumped through her body. She waved the scrap of lace like a white flag of surrender. Or perhaps more like a red cape to a charging bull. “For all you know, this could be a spare—”

  Sean surged forward and reached for the back of her thighs. Isabel dropped the panties and grabbed the edge of her desk. Her gasp rang out as he tilted her legs up and pulled them over his hips. He shoved his hands under her dress and slid them along her thighs. He stilled when his fingers grazed her bare bottom.

  “I removed them the moment I got the text.” There had been no hesitation, only a pulsating anticipation. She gave an exaggerated pout. “I had visions of you stealing touches all night long but you didn’t come near me.”

  “If I’d known you were naked underneath your dress—naked just for me—” his voice was rough with satisfaction “—I would have done something stupid.” He caressed the wet folds of her sex. “Like carry you out of the room so I could claim you.”

  “You should do that next time.” She pressed her lips together to hold back a shuddering moan. She could tell her enjoyment was the most important thing to him. He wanted to be part of her sensual awakening, to help her find what brought her pleasure. “So,” she said as the excitement clawed through her chest. “What’s my reward?”

  Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw the feral gleam in his eyes. He ripped off his jacket and grabbed for his belt buckle. As his clothes dropped down his legs, Isabel reached for his necktie. She wrapped it around her hand, not sure if it was like holding the tail of a tiger. She yanked the tie and he lurched forward. Isabel captured his mouth with hers and kissed him roughly.

  “Wait,” he muttered before he pulled away.

  “No, right now,” she urged, pulling at his tie again and linking her feet at his back. She had been in a state of arousal all evening, knowing how this night was going to end.

  “I need to get a condom.” He bent down to remove his wallet and retrieve a foil package.

  As she watched Sean roll the condom onto his thick penis, Isabel shifted restlessly on the desk. The beat of her heart pounded in her ears and she took in short, choppy gulps of air. Her skin was hot and tight as desire crackled just underneath. When Sean cupped her thighs and parted her legs, Isabel reached out and cradled his face with her hands.

  Her gaze locked with his. She couldn’t look away as he thrust into her. He gripped her bottom and tilted her hips to receive him fully. He stretched and filled her and her flesh gripped him hard.

  “Isabel.” Sean said her name with awe. Reverence.

  His voice was like a caress and she shivered. Isabel tightened her legs around his waist and splayed her hands in his hair. Sean appeared mesmerized as he softly chanted her name with each thrust.

  Isabel felt as wildly powerful as a goddess and yet she was equally caught under Sean’s spell. This man was hers but she was also his. The affection that shone in his eyes mirrored the love that was in hers. She hadn’t felt this close to him before.

  Sean’s face grew taut as his fingers dug into her bottom. He squeezed his eyes shut as he fought for restraint. His deep and smooth thrusts grew faster. Isabel clutched his hair in her fists and dragged his head down. Her mouth collided with his and she poured everything she had to offer, all the love she had for him, into that kiss.

  Sean gave a hoarse cry against her mouth as he found his release. He tumbled onto her and she fell back on her desk as his final thrust triggered her own climax. Colors exploded in her head and she clasped Sean against her as the pleasure rippled violently through her.

  She didn’t want this moment to end, Isabel decided as her lungs burned and she g
ulped for her next breath. She wanted to hold on to this love, hold on to Sean, forever.

  * * *

  “ISABEL?” SYDNEY ASKED. “I tried to catch you at the library but they said you were on your lunch break. Are you at the diner?”

  “I’m walking over to my father’s house,” she explained as a loud truck zoomed by and she held the cell phone closer to her ear. “He’s usually at home on Saturdays. What do you need?”

  Sydney gave an exasperated sigh. “It’s Laura. She’s already trying to get out of hosting the next book club meeting.”

  “Are you sure?” Isabel asked as she turned into the alley behind her father’s house. “It’s not for another two weeks. Do you think she’s read the book?”

  “She’d better have read it! I got through the book she chose.”

  “Think about it. Laura Dawson reading a cookbook.”

  “I know,” Sydney said gleefully. Isabel could imagine she was wringing her hands like a comic book villain. “What about Sean?”

  Isabel slowed down her pace. “What about him?”

  “Laura and I hope he’s going to be a permanent member of the book club. Is he going to show up for the next meeting? Tell him he has to cook one recipe from the book.”

  “That will get him to quit for sure,” she muttered.

  “I doubt it,” Sydney said in a singsong tone. “The only reason he was there was to learn more about you.”

  Isabel still had no idea why Sean had joined the book club, but she was pretty sure Sydney was wrong. “He doesn’t need to investigate me. I’ve known Sean for years.”

  “And how long have you been sleeping with him?”

  Isabel tripped on a crack in the alley. “I— What?”

  “Yeah, don’t try to deny it. Laura and I saw the sparks flying between you two at the book club meeting. He’s the one-night stand that changed your life.”

  Isabel felt flustered as she looked around the deserted alley. “Let’s keep that between us. Sean wants it to be a secret.”

  “Are you sure?” Sydney asked. “He hasn’t tried to hide that he’s interested in you.”

  “Yes, I’m sure,” she replied quietly. “He made it clear that this is just a fling.”

  “Oh.” Disappointment and concern echoed in Sydney’s voice.

  “I don’t want to talk about it. But I will call Laura later and convince her to cook a recipe from the book.”

  “If you feel like talking, call me, okay?”

  “Thanks, I will.” She ended the call and realized she had meant it. Eventually she’d discuss her fling to her friends. Not now, though, not when her feelings were so raw, but soon. She really was learning how to reveal herself in so many ways.

  Isabel strode across her father’s backyard and opened the screen door to the kitchen. It was quiet, indicating that the housekeeper wasn’t around. Good, because she didn’t want an audience when she explained to her father that she couldn’t attend their traditional Sunday dinner tomorrow. It was not going to go over well, but if Sean was there she wouldn’t be able to hide her love for him from her father.

  Isabel walked through the dining room and into the hallway. She was about to call out when she heard familiar voices coming from the study.

  “Thanks for dropping these off, Sean.”

  She stopped midstep. Sean was here.

  She wasn’t sure if she was ready to see him. Their lovemaking had become so intense. At times she didn’t even recognize herself. It scared her that she could be that out of control, though she trusted that Sean would take care of her.

  “And how is it going with Isabel?” Keith asked.

  She almost doubled over with shock as her heart banged against her ribs. Had Sean told her father about their fling? No, that couldn’t be right. Sean was discreet. Private. He was determined to be a gentleman and he wouldn’t kiss and tell.

  “You don’t have anything to worry about with her.”

  “I disagree. That reporter and that Dawson girl are trouble.”

  Isabel crept closer to the study. What did Sydney and Laura have to do with this?

  “The book club is not the catalyst for the changes in Isabel.”

  “You came to that conclusion after one meeting?” Keith asked.

  “I know it’s true because I know Isabel. She’s not interested in creating public displays.”

  “See that she doesn’t.”

  “Sir...”

  “Sean, I asked you to join the book club to find out why Isabel is acting out. I wanted you to nip her destructive behavior in the bud. She seems to listen to you. All I’m asking is for you to rein her in and get her back on track. I said to do whatever was necessary and I meant it.”

  Isabel froze as words and images crowded her mind. The look in Sean’s eyes when he’d said their one-night stand was a mistake. The sexual hunger pulling at his harsh features when he’d insisted he wanted her to go wild for his eyes only. The tenderness in his touch as he’d offered to guide her through her rebellious phase.

  She clapped her hand over her mouth. That was why he kept insisting that she was perfect the way she was. He didn’t mean it. She squeezed her eyes shut as the pain, the betrayal, rolled through her.

  He wasn’t interested in guiding her through a sensual journey. She flinched as she faced the truth. He wanted to stop her transformation.

  This wasn’t a fling to Sean. This was his project.

  Now she knew why he had changed his mind after saying their one-night stand had been a mistake. He was simply following orders.

  5

  ISABEL STARED AT the piece of blackberry pie on her fork as Sean and her father’s voices buzzed around her. She usually adored the housekeeper’s cooking but tonight she had to force the fork to her mouth. She reluctantly raised the morsel to her mouth and choked it down.

  The Sunday night dinner was excruciating. Her stomach was churning and her spine was so rigid it felt as though it was going to snap. Her head ached from holding down the anger that swirled inside her.

  This was going to be her last dinner at her father’s house, Isabel decided. She wished she could have skipped this obligatory meal, too. She couldn’t sit in the same room with Sean. She couldn’t talk to him or even look at him. It took all of her strength to refrain from lashing out.

  As good as it would feel to tell him just how much he’d hurt her, the only way to protect herself was to retreat behind a mask of disinterest. If she revealed the pain she was in, she’d also reveal how much this fling had meant to her. And Sean would realize that she had fallen in love with him.

  She had too much pride for that. So she would suffer through tonight and conceal how she really felt. She was good at it. It was her superpower.

  Tonight she was in full prim and proper mode but no one seemed to have noticed. Isabel twisted her mouth and glanced at her outfit. She wore a white dress with short sleeves, kitten heels and pearls. The thick headband on her head felt too tight and she had refrained from putting on heavy makeup to hide the shadows under her eyes. The only thing that was missing were the white gloves.

  “You’re quiet tonight, Isabel,” her father remarked.

  Isabel froze. She felt Sean’s curious gaze on her and she kept her head down as she shoveled in another bite of the blackberry pie. “There’s a lot going on at work.”

  “At the library?”

  She didn’t appreciate her father’s comment. Ordinarily she would defend the important role of the library in the community but that was a distraction she couldn’t afford tonight. “Yes, I have to put together all the programs and events for the remainder of the year. It looks like this will be my last Sunday night dinner for a while.”

  “The library is giving you more responsibilities.” Keith leaned back in his c
hair and gave a satisfied nod. “This is good. It means they trust you again after you were reprimanded.”

  Isabel dipped her head and gritted her teeth. The complaint her father was so concerned about had not been official. She didn’t see it as important since she had proven herself time and time again to her superiors.

  “Are you still going to have your book club?” Sean asked.

  His soft tone took her by surprise. Isabel glanced up and met Sean’s gaze. Her heart stopped and she couldn’t look away. His eyes narrowed as he studied her.

  He suspected something. Her heart suddenly started to pound against her chest. How? She was playing the good girl perfectly. Did he notice that there was no spark in her? That she felt dull and broken? She was hiding her true thoughts for now but she would break free when she felt safe and was with someone who supported her. She used to feel that way around Sean but now she knew the truth.

  “Of course, it’s only one evening a month.” She heard her father’s huff of exasperation and turned away from Sean. “It’s important to me.”

  “Why?” Keith argued. “You’re purposely reading books that other people are against.”

  “Because I’m against censorship.” She glanced at Sean as the anger and disappointment coursed through her. “In all forms.”

  He tilted his head. “The next selection is the cookbook on aphrodisiacs, right?”

  She nodded. The movement felt tense and choppy. “We are each making a dish.”

  Sean leaned back in his chair and watched her carefully. “I think I will attend the next meeting.”

  Her throat tightened with dread. If she was barely surviving this dinner, she definitely wouldn’t last through a book club discussion with him. “If you wish,” she said and grabbed her water goblet.

  “I had such a good time at the last meeting.”

  “I’m glad.” She calmly drank her water as her pulse galloped. He was trying to get a reaction out of her. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. She had spent her school years sitting next to troublemakers and class clowns. She wasn’t going to crack.

  He frowned. “Although, aphrodisiacs are just one step removed from love potions, aren’t they?”