Notorious

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  “Maybe later. Considering the difference between guys and gals, I want to pace myself.” He walked to the bedside telephone and picked up the receiver.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Ordering up some food.”

  “Food?” It was the last thing she’d expected him to suggest, considering he’d just had breakfast. She, on the other hand, was starving.

  “Yeah, food.” He grinned at her. “I tried to eat before I came up here but I didn’t get much down. I’m willing to bet you haven’t had anything either. And, right now, I’m damn hungry. How about you?”

  “I could eat.”

  “Good.” He punched in the number for room service and looked over at her. “How about a couple of club sandwiches and some fresh fruit?”

  “Sure.” Anything sounded good. And suddenly she realized that this was what a honeymoon would be like—making love and ordering room service afterward. But she had no honeymoon in her immediate future and she’d do well to remember that.

  Noah placed the order and hung up the phone. Then he sat down on the bed beside her. “One of us has more clothes on than the other.” He reached for the hem of her tank top.

  “Wait.” She placed her hands over his. “Won’t we have to be dressed when the food arrives?”

  “Will we?” His eyes sparkled.

  “Yes. Taking a chance in a deserted hallway at night is one thing. Stripping down and inviting the room-service waiter in is beyond where I want to go.”

  “Okay. We’ll put on clothes again. But I’ll bet they won’t show up for at least twenty minutes, and I want to see your breasts. Kiss your breasts. I’m crazy about your breasts. And look at that. They’re crazy about me, too.” He leaned down and gently bit one of the nipples that had stiffened under his gaze.

  She sighed with pleasure.

  “They want out,” he murmured, moving to catch the other nipple between his teeth.

  “Maybe so.” She offered no resistance as he pushed her top up. She wanted to feel his hot mouth against her skin.

  He licked and nibbled until, despite the satisfaction he’d given her not long ago, she began to ache for him again.

  “Tell me a secret fantasy.” He covered her breasts with tiny kisses. “Something you’ve never done. Something we could do in this room.”

  She didn’t have to think very long about it, especially considering the sensual daze he’d put her in by stroking and lapping at her breasts. “To be tied up,” she murmured. “Gently and considerately, of course. And then teased to distraction.”

  “You wouldn’t be scared of me doing that?”

  “Not with you.” Her blood heated just thinking about it. “I’d be safe with you.”

  “Yeah, you’d be safe.” He rolled her nipple against his tongue. “Let’s do it.”

  “After room service.”

  “Before.”

  “Before?”

  “Now.” In a split second he’d pinned her to the mattress with his body and skimmed her tank top over her head, bringing her arms up with it.

  Her wrists seemed tangled in the material and she tried to free them. “I’m stuck.”

  He raised up on one elbow and looked down at her with a satisfied smile. “I know.”

  Then she realized he was holding her wrists with his free hand. “Wait a minute! You can’t just do it! I have to let you!”

  He shook his head. “Way too tame for a woman like you.”

  “Tame was what I had in mind!” She tried to wiggle out from under him.

  “Sorry.” He held her still with the weight of his body while he twisted the material of her top and looped one armhole over the bedpost. Then he slipped the elastic from her ponytail and wound that around her wrists for good measure.

  That was about the time she remembered she’d just invited a cowboy who bull-dogged cattle for a living to play bondage games with her. She might be in over her head. “Noah, seriously, room service will be here any minute. Let me go.”

  “Nope. This is fun.” As he slid downward he grasped one ankle.

  “Stop it!” She tried kicking with her free foot, but with both hands tied above her head and one ankle in his grasp, she couldn’t get any leverage. “Noah! I’ll scream!”

  “I imagine the folks in the neighboring rooms will only think you’re having another amazing orgasm, which, eventually, is what will happen if you’re a good girl.” Holding her ankle firmly in one hand, he picked up a corner of the sheet, put it between his teeth and ripped away a strip of it.

  “You’re destroying hotel property!”

  “I’ll pay them for the sheet.” He moved to the other side of the bed to repeat the process and there she was, neatly tied, hand and foot, naked on the bed. He surveyed his work. “Nice. Very, very nice. Are you comfy?”

  “Well, you didn’t hurt me or anything, if that’s what you mean, but I didn’t mean for you to do it like this.” She was panting, both from the struggle and—she had to admit it—from excitement. He’d tied her up while promising her an amazing orgasm. And he’d been quick, but gentle. None of her muscles were stretched too tight and, God, she felt sexy. A fantasy didn’t get much better than that.

  And yet she still felt honor-bound to complain. “I was picturing velvet ropes or silk scarves.”

  “You got any velvet ropes or silk scarves?”

  “Well, no. Even so, you could have led up to it and taken it slower.”

  “You don’t lead up to a stunt like this. That’s boring.” His smile was positively wicked as his gaze traveled over her. “And, don’t worry, we’ll take it slow. Now.”

  A shiver of anticipation ran down her spine. “My, how you’ve changed since Friday afternoon.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve had my fantasies, the same as you.” He walked slowly around the bed, eyeing her from every angle. “This is one we share.”

  She didn’t dare ask him if she was the woman he’d fantasized about. If she hadn’t been, she didn’t want to know. Besides, if she hadn’t been his fantasy woman before this weekend, she would be after this.

  Taking his gaze from her briefly, he reached down and picked up his briefs. They didn’t fit very well over his erection.

  “I didn’t hear anybody at the door,” she said.

  “Nobody’s there yet.”

  “Then why—”

  “I want to be ready.” He stepped into his jeans and winced as he zipped them. “Talk about bondage.” Then he walked casually over to the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress.

  Her pulse raced at the look in his eyes. An involuntary shudder of excitement ran through her as the fact of her vulnerability finally penetrated. She was totally at his mercy. Did she trust him that much? Yes and no. Yes, that he wouldn’t hurt her. No, that he wouldn’t drive her beyond all her limits and strip away all her defenses. And that was where the thrill of danger came in.

  “Cold?”

  She shook her head.

  “I didn’t think so.” Reaching down to her ankle, he trailed a finger along the inside of her calf, then continued up the tender skin of her inner thigh, drawing closer, closer, closer…and stopping. Holding her gaze, he brushed his knuckles lightly over her damp curls and she discovered how incredibly sensitive she was as she responded with a rush of moisture.

  “You smell so good,” he murmured. Boldly he slid a finger in deep, drew it out and licked it. “And you taste even better.”

  She wanted more…much more. But he’d promised to take it slow. She wondered if she’d survive the wait.

  “Remember finger paints?” he asked.

  Her chest was tight with anticipation, her answer breathy. “Yes.”

  “Let’s pretend this is a jar of finger paint.” He slipped two fingers back into her. “And I’m going to paint a beautiful picture on your soft body. You’re so wet I should be able to create quite a masterpiece.”

  Delicious heat poured through her, flushing her skin and making her entire body
tingle. “You’re going to torture me, aren’t you?”

  He circled her breast with his damp fingers. “Yes, darlin’, I am. And you’re going to love it.”

  As an erotic tease, it was world-class. He stroked every part of her body with the musky liquid of her passion, always returning to the wellspring to caress her into panting readiness again. Yet he’d only stay long enough to make her whimper, never long enough to give her the climax that soon became her entire focus.

  And just as she was ready to offer him anything if he’d only give her that precious release, a knock at the door announced room service had arrived.

  Noah leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. “Our food’s here.”

  She gasped for breath. “Who cares? Noah, I need—”

  “Soon.” He climbed from the bed. “Be right there!” he called to the bellman.

  “What do you mean, you’ll be right there? Noah, don’t open that door!”

  “Don’t panic,” he murmured. Then he reached for the quilted bedspread that had fallen to the floor and pulled it carefully up to her chin.

  “What—what are you doing?”

  “Completing your fantasy.” He propped two pillows under her head and arranged two more to disguise the fact that her hands were bound. “I’ve been paying attention, Keely. I’m going to turn us both on like we’ve never been turned on in our lives.”

  “H-how?”

  “The waiter’s going to come in and leave our food while you’re lying there totally naked and aroused under that bedspread, unable to move, and by the time he’s left the tray and I’ve paid the bill and he’s gone, you’re going to be hotter than you’ve ever been in your life, because it’s so risky. Better than the hallway.”

  “Oh, Noah.” She thought her heart would pound out of her chest. But in a secret, hidden part of her mind she suspected he was right.

  “Trust me?”

  “O-okay.”

  He walked over and opened the door.

  The waiter came in, and after one quick look at Keely in the bed, he bustled about his task of setting down the tray. Noah pretended to ignore her, too, as he took his time paying the bellman and walking him to the door.

  It was the wildest feeling she’d ever had, knowing that the minute the bellman was gone Noah would whip off the bedspread and make love to her.

  Her body throbbed with unreleased tension as she watched Noah open the door, let the guy walk out, close the door again and carefully lock it.

  Then he turned and nearly tore off his jeans and briefs. The condom went on in record time. Then he yanked off the bedspread and released Keely’s restraints before moving between her thighs and plunging deep. Her orgasm came instantly, rocking her with the most powerful contractions she’d ever felt. She clung to Noah as his frenzied cries of release blended with hers.

  Gradually the world stopped spinning as they lay sweaty and entwined, gasping for breath.

  Noah chuckled. Keely started to smile. And before they knew it, they were clutching each other and howling with laughter.

  “Can you believe we did that?” Noah asked.

  “No! You are really crazy!”

  “You started the whole thing.” He propped himself up on an elbow and looked down at her, a grin on his face.

  “You mean the hallway?”

  “No, I mean behind that lava rock! My imagination has been in overdrive ever since.”

  “I was trying to corrupt you.”

  “It worked. Man, did it ever work. I am never going to forget this weekend.”

  She felt a pain in the general region of her heart. If only he’d said he would never forget her. She managed a smile. “Me neither.”

  17

  NOAH WAS GLAD he’d ordered the fruit to go along with the sandwiches. With a willing woman like Keely, a guy could find all kinds of interesting things to do with fruit. He’d turned her into quite a fruit cocktail before he’d finished. And in the process she’d become a real fan of multiple orgasms.

  Then she’d become creative with the mayo she’d scraped off her club sandwich and he’d gladly served as her private bedroom deli. He might not have been able to do the multiple-orgasm thing like she could, but the climax she’d given him had almost killed him.

  All in all, it was the most excellent meal he’d ever had—best food, best atmosphere, best company.

  He wondered why he’d never tried eating naked with a woman before. You could save a bundle on napkins. If either of you happened to drip, the other gladly licked it off. Personally he’d made an effort to be messy and he figured she had, too.

  With all the interruptions, their lunch had taken quite a while. He realized just how long when he had to switch on a light to see Keely better. At the same time he glanced at the numbers on the digital bedside clock. Damn. His plane left in two short hours.

  “Why the frown?” she asked, snuggling into the pillows. “Indigestion?”

  “No.” He settled down next to her and cupped her breast, rubbing her nipple to erectness with his thumb. “It’s just that I can’t stay much longer.”

  Her green eyes flashed with alarm. “Really?”

  “My plane leaves tonight.”

  “Miss it.”

  “Can’t.”

  She reached down and circled his penis with her hand. “Are you quite sure about that?”

  He closed his eyes as she stroked and tickled him into aching readiness in no time at all. In the past forty-eight hours he’d become like his bulls when they were in the same pen with a heifer in heat. He couldn’t get enough.

  But he’d promised Jonas he’d be home tonight. Because of his promise, Jonas and B.J. had left the ranch that afternoon bound for Phoenix to check out wedding decorations. They’d planned to stay in Phoenix a couple of days and Noah needed to be at the ranch to take care of business while they were gone. Several matters demanded his attention, and he intended to keep his word to be back on time.

  Keely scooted down and placed a kiss on the tip of his penis. “I’m sure you could get a plane in the morning.” Then she used her tongue to add more fuel to her argument.

  His breathing roughened and his voice grew husky with a passion that seemed to have no end. “Keep that up and I’ll be able to fly there without a plane.”

  “I want you to stay with me tonight,” she murmured as she nibbled her way from base to tip.

  “There’s nothing I want more. But I can’t. I—” He drew in a sharp breath as she took him fully into her mouth and applied gentle suction. “But you have amazing powers of persuasion.” By all rights he shouldn’t be getting hard again, but damned if he wasn’t. If he didn’t stop her, she’d make him come, and he didn’t want to spend the last orgasm he would share with her in that way.

  Ah, but she gave him such pleasure. Reluctantly he combed his fingers through her hair and cradled her head, drawing her slowly away, bringing her tender mouth up to meet his. “Time for one of those little raincoats,” he murmured between light kisses. “I want to be inside you this time.”

  “Okay,” she said in a breathy, excited voice as she met his teasing kisses with ones of her own. “We can try a new position.”

  “I had in mind something boring. Hang on a sec.” He turned over and grabbed a condom packet from the bedside table.

  “Boring?” She smiled at him. “Here, let me put that on.”

  “I thought you’d never ask.” He gave her the condom and she made a big production of unrolling it over his totally recharged penis. He loved her careful attention and tried not to think about this being the last time he’d feel her hands on him.

  “I don’t see how anything we do in this bed could be boring.” She gave one last little tug on the latex. Then she cupped his balls and massaged them gently as she glanced up at him. “Not considering what we have to work with.”

  He couldn’t believe he was so hot for her again, but she seemed to know instinctively how to touch him to turn him into a raging maniac. “The
n you wouldn’t mind the plain old missionary position?”

  She gazed into his eyes. “You mean no props, no unique location, no thrill of discovery?”

  “That’s right.” He searched her eyes for the emotion he wanted to find. “Just you and me.”

  “Scary.”

  “I know. Think you can handle it?” There. He thought he saw the visual clue he was seeking, but then it was gone again.

  “I don’t know.” She looked nervous.

  “Let’s try it.” He eased her to her back and braced his hands beside her shoulders as he moved between her thighs.

  She ran her hands lightly down his back and paused as her fingers encountered the ridge of a small scar. “How did I miss this?” she asked softly. Slowly she traced the ridge with her forefinger.

  “You couldn’t have discovered everything. It’s only been a weekend.”

  Regret flashed in her eyes. “That’s right.”

  He gazed down at her, memorizing what he saw. This was his last chance to awaken real emotion in her. If he failed, he would never see her this way again.

  Her tousled hair fanned out against the white pillow in waves of dark red, the color of desire. His glance raked over her, from her flushed cheeks to her passion-darkened nipples, from her flat belly to the red-gold curls between her thighs. A shell-pink treasure beckoned to him, peeking out from beneath those soft curls.

  He focused on her face again—full lips parted, nostrils flared, green eyes dark with secrets. He held her gaze and moved his hips forward, easing partway in, adjusting to her heat so he could build his control.

  “That feels so good,” she murmured.

  “Nothing like it.” And he wasn’t talking about sex in general, either. He’d never experienced anything to compare with making love to Keely. He was beginning to understand how rare this connection was…for him. But he didn’t know how rare it was for her. Not yet.

  Taking a deep breath, he pushed home. Slowly a flame grew in her eyes, a flame that warmed his soul. Maybe they had a chance. But he wasn’t putting anything on the line by speaking about it. Instead, he’d talk around the problem. “Just so you know, I’m not going for the multiples this time.”