by Jamie Wesley
She spun back to him and twined her arms around his neck. Touching him never got old. “It’s beautiful.”
His arms snuck around her waist. “Thank you.”
She rose on her toes and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips, pulling back with a groan when the doorbell rang.
“Hold that thought.” Tate went to the door and opened it to a man and a woman carrying folding tables.
“What’s going on?” Noelle asked.
“They’re here to give us massages.”
Okay, he really was messing with her head now. He introduced her to the massage therapists, Kim and Ray, and then said, “Why don’t you go change? There’s a robe waiting in the bathroom.”
She headed to the bathroom and studied herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement. Her grin couldn’t stretch any farther. She changed, caressing the heavy, smooth cotton of the robe worthy of the most luxurious, five-star hotel. Wow. Everything about tonight was wow. She returned to the living room and found that Tate had changed into a matching robe. He stood next to the massage tables. Alone. “Where did Kim and Ray go?”
“It occurred to me that if you want a massage, I’m more than up for the task.”
Oh. The heat in his gaze seared her. “But you’re not a trained professional.”
“I’m sure I can make up for my lack of training with unbridled enthusiasm and eagerness to please. Trust me.”
Desire infused every pore of her being. “Okay,” she whispered.
She eased off the robe. Tate played the perfect gentleman, never letting his eyes slide down below her eyes. She arranged herself facedown on the table, and Tate covered her with a sheet at her waist.
Music, a bluesy arrangement, began to play. Wow. Not one detail had escaped his notice tonight.
All thoughts scattered at the first touch of his hands on her skin. He’d doused his hands in oil, lavender based on what her nose was telling her, and gently massaged the liquid into her sensitive skin, starting at her shoulders. His hands glided up and down her back, applying just the right amount of pressure to soothe—and arouse—her. He might not be a pro, but he knew how to handle her body. How to wring the best and purest response from her. Her muscles liquefied under his sure touch. Tate made his way to her legs, massaging her calves and then back up, not touching her where she longed to be touched the most. Where her sex pulsed with desire for him. She bit her lip to keep a moan from escaping and pressed her forehead against the table. The pressure lightened degree by degree, teasing her, until she held her breath, waiting, longing for the next touch.
“Turn over.” They were the first words Tate had spoken since the start of the massage. They sounded wrenched from his gut.
Denying him would be denying herself. Noelle rolled over, not bothering to shield herself with the sheet. She felt Tate’s gaze like a caress. Her eyes drifted to his face. Amber eyes glittered down at her, the muscle in his hard jaw ticking. She arched her back, her breasts thrusting high in the air, as she completed a full-body stretch.
Still, he didn’t take the hint, massaging the soles of her feet, then up her calves and shins, the oil leaving faint traces of evidence of his journey. Her legs parted, sending an undeniable invitation. He massaged her inner thighs with firm strokes. She watched through eyes cast at half-mast, unable to stop a shaky sigh as he inched ever closer to her aching center.
Just when she thought he was going to give her what she needed, he abandoned her legs and picked up the bottle of oil. She growled. She didn’t care if she sounded deranged or greedy or needy. She was.
“Patience, Doc.” He graced her with that arrogant grin that only ramped up her desire another impossible degree.
She opened her mouth to retort, but the words escaped as a hiss when he made contact with her stomach, massaging oil into her skin.
Then his talented hands headed north.
They slicked over her swollen breasts over and over until they were shiny, the nipples tight, hard buds.
She gripped the table, her back arching, pushing her breasts into his hands. She bit her lip to keep a whimper from escaping, the blood in her veins thickening.
Her eyes flickered upward. His face was intense and focused, his lips drawn tight, almost like he was in distress. His eyes gleamed, completely engrossed in his task.
“Tate. Please,” she whispered. Her hand snuck down. His stopped hers.
“No, let me.”
He trailed a hand through the crisp curls at the top of her mound, but this time he didn’t stop. He grazed her folds, running a finger up and down them. Then, because by now he knew her body as well as she did, he zeroed in her clit, applying pressure the way she liked, the way she craved. Pleasure spread from her center through her entire body. Unable to control herself, she ground herself against his hand. She was close. So close. But when she was about to explode, he lightened the pressure.
She moaned.
He slipped a finger inside her. Her hips twisted at the fresh wave of arousal that hit her. He retreated and spread her juices all around her mound. Then he slid inside her again, stretching her with two fingers. Noelle could only shudder at the sensations hitting her from every direction. He played her like a violin, hitting all the right notes, finally returning his attention to the bundle of nerves at her center.
“Now.”
At his rough command, she fell over the edge, the orgasm sweeping through her body in endless waves.
When she came back to her senses, her body felt so weightless, she would have sworn she was floating. Her eyes fluttered open. No, Tate was carrying her. “Thank you,” she whispered against his neck. Only he could make her feel this way.
“The night’s just begun.”
…
And he meant it. While Noelle was recovering from her climax, he’d briefly torn himself from her to draw a bath. He turned off the spigots, lowered her into the mammoth bathtub, and eased in behind her. She settled back into his chest, her sigh a boon to his senses.
Tate slicked his hands with soap and went to work washing the oil off her amazing body. He raised her right arm and slid his fingers from the smooth, pretty, warm brown skin of her shoulder to her fingertips. He repeated the process with her other arm. She offered no resistance. But still he had better places to roam. His hands wandered, sliding up her flat stomach to play with her responsive nipples. A moan came from Noelle even as her head twisted back and forth against his chest, her hands clamping down on his thighs. He reversed field, but she stopped him before he reached his target.
“What? Don’t you want me to touch you? Don’t you know how much I love touching you?” How much I’ll always love touching you?
Every muscle in his body tensed, but before he could wonder about the unsettling thought, Noelle said, “Of course I do, but I’ve been pampered. It’s your turn.”
She rose on her knees, the water gently swishing around them, and turned to face him. She cupped his cheeks and leaned in for a kiss. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. The kiss deepened, and his hand glided once again toward her center, but she broke away again.
She tapped him on the lips with a finger, halting his growl. “I’ve got something better planned.”
“Prove it.”
“Ooh, a challenge. I like it.” Noelle soaped her hands and glided them across his shoulders. “Thank you for tonight.”
“Trust me, I’ve enjoyed it as much as you have.”
“You think so?” Her capable hands slicked down his chest, sending his arousal soaring.
“Yeah, I…ahh.” The rest of his reply ended on a garbled note. She’d reached his waist and wrapped a hand around his erection.
She squeezed, just the way he liked it, and pulled upward. Once. Twice. Again. Then, her other hand joined in.
He hadn’t thought it possible, but his desire for her ratcheted up another notch. He shook with the effort to hold it in. He needed to be inside her. Now.
“Nuh
-uh. Not yet,” she said when he tried to touch her. She crowded closer, brushing her full breasts against his chest.
Maintaining eye contact, her lips curled in a flirtatious smile, she reached behind him and grabbed a condom he’d thankfully remembered to bring. She took her sweet time putting it on with talented, dexterous fingers. His chest heaved, arousal racing through his veins, but he was determined to comply with her wishes to take control. Tonight was about her. But she was killing him.
“Noelle,” he said through gritted teeth. At the edge of his control.
“Tate.” She rose and hooked her legs on the outside of his. She braced herself on the ledge, gripping his cock in the other hand, and lowered herself onto him.
So damn good.
He drew her closer, needing the connection. Needing her. He craved her. He groaned as her body stretched to accommodate him and clasped him tight, like they were two halves of a perfect whole. He let her set the pace. They moved in synchronicity, the ride slow and languid, which suited him just fine. He never wanted it to end. “Noelle.”
Her eyes fluttered open, the desire in them thrilling him. Yes, that was the connection he sought. Needing to be joined with her in every way possible, he swooped in for a kiss. Slow. Passionate. Perfect.
The rightness of the moment, the sense of belonging nearly overwhelmed him. There was no place he’d rather be. No one he’d rather be with. They moved as one, Noelle’s nails clutching his shoulders like she never intended to let go. Fine with him.
The end snuck up on him, building slowly, but steadily, until his whole body shook with the effort to hold it back. “Doc?”
“Yes.” She leaned in for another kiss. He poured everything he was feeling into it.
They tumbled through space together, his orgasm nerve-jarring in its intensity, her sharp cry the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard.
Afterward, she rested her forehead on his shoulder, her chest heaving against his.
He slid his hands up and down her back, offering comfort, and taking comfort from simply being with her. “Do you think you can move?”
“Don’t want to,” she mumbled.
He chuckled. “We can’t stay in here forever.”
“Just a little longer.”
“All right.” Truth be told, he didn’t want the moment to end, either. “But I know you’re not comfortable. Let me help you.” He slid her off him and turned her, so she sat between his legs again.
They stayed, their fingers entwined, in the cooling water, enjoying their time together. Tate pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. He didn’t know if he’d ever felt more at peace. He was almost certain he hadn’t. It was all because of her.
“Doc?”
“Hmm?”
“Would you go to my parents’ wedding with me?”
“I’d be honored to.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Today is our last show together,” Noelle said. “I don’t want to speak for Tate, but the last few weeks have been enlightening. I actually feel like I know something about sports now. More importantly, I’ve learned some things about myself. I knew I was stubborn, but when you have someone constantly challenging your beliefs, it becomes even more evident. It also makes you really stop and think about those beliefs and opinions and why you hold them.
“This is what I know. It’s been fun. It’s been frustrating. It’s been real.” She looked across the control board at her cohost. “I want to thank Tate for that. I hope you, the listeners, have gained something from the experiment as well.”
“I’ve enjoyed this, too,” he said. “I’ve been challenged. I’ve been happy. I’ve been angry, mainly because Noelle doesn’t pull any punches. I thank her for that.”
He reached out as though to cover her hand, but he retreated before he completed the action.
She curled her hand in her lap to stop herself from seeking his touch. They had an audience. She offered up a small smile instead. A bittersweet moment, no doubt. Getting back to her routine without worrying about two shows would be nice. She supposed. Not spending these two hours with him every day, even if she wanted to wring his neck half the time, would be disappointing. But she’d get over it. She’d survived a year of not doing a show with him. She’d thrive again.
Besides, they’d done their jobs. Deb had told them ratings were up, and a few parties were interested in buying the station.
“We’re going to check in with Shannon and Mike one last time to see what decision they’ve made about their relationship,” Tate said. “They’ve joined us in the studio.”
“Hi, guys,” Noelle said to the couple. “Thanks for coming in. How was your last date?”
“Fabulous, thanks to you and Tate,” Shannon said.
Noelle looked at Tate. She’d had nothing to do with it. “Why don’t you tell us about it?”
“It was simple, but perfect. A limo picked us up and took us to the arboretum. A guide met us there and took us to a secluded part of the park, which was closed to the public, near the lake. A picnic was all set up under a tent. It was so romantic.”
Mike fiddled with his headset, clearly uncomfortable with them. “We had a chance to talk for the first time in a long time with no distractions.”
“Unless you count the amazing food and wine. Thank you so much,” Shannon said.
“You’re welcome. So what did you talk about?” Tate asked.
A big grin broke across Shannon’s face. “Oh my goodness. All kinds of things, like how we met standing in the world’s slowest-moving line at our bank.”
“Shannon kept me laughing the whole time we waited,” Mike said.
“It was either that or kill the tellers, who weren’t in any rush to serve the customers. We also talked about this whole experience.”
“I don’t think either of us knew what we were getting into,” Mike said, shifting in his chair.
Shannon nodded. “That’s for sure. But it’s been fun. And weird.”
Enough with the chitchat. “So did you talk about the issues that led you to call into our show?” Noelle asked.
“Yes,” Mike answered. “Before we did, we agreed to let each other finish our thoughts before we replied.”
“Thanks for the suggestion, Noelle,” Shannon said.
“You’re welcome,” she said. “How did the talk go?”
“Way better than our arguments usually go,” Mike said.
“I told him that I think he’s been taking me for granted,” Shannon said.
“I told her that she falls into treating me like a child by telling me what to do and I resent it.”
“Ouch to both of those claims,” Tate said. “How did the other party take it?”
Shannon and Mike exchanged a quick glance. “I think we were both okay,” Mike said. “We’ve heard those complaints before. It wasn’t anything new. But this time, at least, we didn’t go into defensive mode and tune each other out.”
“I’m happy to hear you discussed your faults in a civil manner, but I hope you talked about the good times, too,” Noelle said.
Shannon swung her gaze to Noelle. “We did. Actually, we wrote a list of three things we liked about each other.”
“I wasn’t on board with it at first, but writing everything down made me really think about my answer and reinforced how much Shannon means to me,” Mike said.
“Same here.”
Exactly what Noelle wanted to hear. She gave herself a mental fist pump.
“We were happy to get everything on the table, the good and the bad, which allowed us to figure out if we wanted to stay together, or if we were just marking time until something better came along,” Mike said.
“What did you decide?” Noelle asked, crossing her fingers behind her back.
Shannon took a deep breath and met her boyfriend’s eyes. “We’ve decided to go our separate ways.”
Crap. All the optimism and anticipation that had been propelling her through the day came to a screeching halt. Still, if sh
e were being honest with herself, she had to admit she wasn’t totally surprised. Mike and Shannon had good chemistry, true, but there’d been something missing in their relationship she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
“Are you sure?” she couldn’t resist asking.
“Yes,” Shannon answered with conviction. “We have a good time together, but we both agree that we’re in different stages in our lives and that we want different things. Ironically, it was our last date, not Tate’s activities, which really drove that home. We laid everything out on the table. We’ve both grown from this experience and now understand how important it is to communicate and know what we want.”
And that’s all she could ask for, Noelle supposed, her spirits rising slightly.
“I’m ready to settle down,” Mike said.
“While I realized I’m not. I enjoyed the club going and speed dating more than I thought I would,” Shannon said.
“Sounds like you two are sure about your decision,” Tate said.
“We are.”
“And that’s all that matters. Thanks again for participating in our little experiment.”
“No. Thank you,” Mike said. “We’re better for it.”
“Good luck to both of you,” Noelle said, offering them a small smile. “This is the Tate and Noelle Show. We’ll be right back.”
She and Tate escorted the former couple to the elevator. After shaking Mike’s hand, she turned to Shannon.
“I hope you’re not mad at me,” Shannon said, her eyebrows bunched in worry.
“What? Of course I’m not.” Noelle drew the other woman into a hug. “Your happiness is all that matters. Tate and I both appreciate you and Mike putting yourselves out there. We know it wasn’t easy.”
“Thanks. I hope y’all have better luck than we did,” Shannon whispered in her ear.
“What?”
But Shannon was already stepping into the elevator and waving good-bye.
Noelle met Tate’s way-too-satisfied-with-himself eyes and promptly forgot about Shannon’s parting words. Losing sucked, even if the couple had made the right decision for themselves. She returned to the studio and took her seat next to the competition. Put on her headset and kept her eyes locked on Caitlin as the producer counted down to the end of the commercial break.
