The One Who Got Away

by Jo Leigh

  First, a kiss on her belly, that damn pooch she tried so hard to lose. It would have been so nice, especially at a time like this, being naked and all in broad daylight with a man she’d craved for ten years, if she could have looked a bit more like the girl he’d seen naked before. His smile was nice, and his hunger clear in his gaze, but still, she felt sure he would have been even hungrier if her stomach had been flat.

  His next kiss, slightly lower, chased all thoughts of vanity and flat stomachs straight out of her mind. No longer able to stand idle, she found her fingers skimming through his thick, dark hair. She wanted to do much more. Kiss him, get him all naked, see everything there was to see, and then play to her heart’s content. But this had its advantages, too.

  Like the way his hot breath felt on that little space of skin just above her low-cut panties. Like how he trailed that breath down and down, inch by inch, while his fingers, poised on the sides of her underwear, lowered the lacy material at that maddening pace.

  Soon he was past the bare skin, and his lips brushed over her small patch of pale curls. Of their own accord, her legs spread half a step apart, giving him broader access, and herself a stronger sense of balance. She had the feeling she’d need it.

  A second later, he kissed her at the very top of her lower lips, and she shivered with anticipation. This was very high on her personal hit parade. A man who knew how to use his mouth for more noble purposes was a man worth knowing.

  Turns out, Ben knew. Oh, God, how he knew.

  By the time he was finished showing her just how much he knew, she was flat on her back on the bed, arms and legs akimbo, gasping for air, quivering like a harp string that had just been masterfully, patiently, persistently plucked.

  6

  IF BEN DIDN’T DO something soon, he was going to be one very embarrassed man. But it was impossible to move his gaze from the vision before him.

  Taylor’s chest rose and fell, making those exquisite breasts quiver ever so slightly. The sheen on her sleek body, the way she lay so abandoned and free made him think of a colt just back from a long, exhilarating run in the fields. She was a wild creature…still. He smiled, terrifically glad that some things hadn’t changed.

  His gaze moved back to her face, to the flush on her cheeks and neck, to her parted lips, to her blond hair floating on the bedspread like a cloud. And then his problem reared its head, so to speak. The constriction in his pants was beyond serious, nearly terminal. The last time he’d been so hard without doing anything about it was in college. He’d figured out a way to escape to a bathroom back then, but this was a different type of quandary. He wanted to make love to her, to come inside her. But he’d have to get up, go down the hall to his room, get his condoms, come back, then strip. No possible way he was going to make it off his knees without exploding. Maybe if he stopped looking at her.

  His gaze shifted to the bedside table, where he saw the red light blinking on the phone. She must have had a call earlier, because the phone hadn’t rung since they’d been in the room. Or maybe it had, and they just had been too involved to notice.

  A second later, his hip vibrated and his own cell phone rang. No musical ditty, just a plain ring, which was annoying enough. He ignored it. Until Taylor’s phone rang again.

  Her head came up off the bed. “What…?”

  “I guess they’re trying to find us.”

  “Damn,” she whispered as her head flopped back. “I suppose we should answer.”

  “They can wait.”

  She turned, opened one eye to look at him. “You’re still dressed.”

  “Yep.”

  “Why is that?”

  “I have no idea.” His phone rang again, then hers, the disparate pitches mildly grating.

  She crooked one finger, inviting him next to her. He stood carefully, wincing at the painful pressure.

  “If I had any energy at all, I’d rip those clothes right off you.”

  “Aha. So my plan worked.” He laughed evilly and waggled his eyebrows.

  “What, so you could have your way with me? Too late.”

  “Oh, yeah.” He put one knee on the bed, leaned over and kissed her tummy.

  Her hand went to his head and she fingered his hair. “That was amazing,” she whispered.

  “For me, too.”

  “And yet…”

  He chuckled. Her phone jangled once more, the ring cut off as the caller hung up. Whoever was trying to reach him hadn’t been as persistent. “Are you sure you’re ready for round two?”

  She nodded, although her eyes were closed, and she looked like she was more ready for a nap than lovemaking.

  Ben wanted to stretch out next to her, but the issues hadn’t been settled. The condoms. He was here, and they were all the way in his room. He should have put them in his wallet, like the old days. But he’d never thought the morning would turn out this way.

  “What are you grinning about?”

  “Just thinking what a lucky guy I am.”

  “And here I thought I’d won the prize.”

  He gave in to the immediacy of needing to touch her and lay down, his head on her hair. He took in a deep breath, smelling the sweet fruity scent, the intoxicating musk from her lower body. “You didn’t believe me, did you?”

  “Believe what?”

  He ran his hand up her stomach until he cupped one of her perfect breasts. “That giving you pleasure is what turns me on.”

  She smiled. “That’s a wonderful philosophy, Ben. Truly.”

  “But…”

  “No, that’s all. If that’s how it is for you, yippee!”

  He chuckled, and took the hand closest to him and guided it to his jeans. “Maybe this will make you a believer.”

  “Whoa,” she said, her voice breathy. “That’s got to be uncomfortable.”

  It only took him a second to realize he’d made a mistake. The problem increased by one hell of a lot. He squirmed under her fingers.

  She released him, then turned onto her side. “Stay,” she said, as if he were a puppy. Then she undid his belt, and with a look of total concentration, started on his buttons.

  Every move was an experience in the pleasure-versus-pain principle. It hurt so damn good. By the time she reached the last button he was ready to explode. Which would at least eliminate the need for the condoms, but would be a definite blow to his ego.

  She spread his fly open, then carefully reached inside his jeans until she held him in her palm. He hissed as she pulled him free, giving him one kind of release only to put him into a more complex kind of restraint.

  “Oh, my,” she whispered. “That’s very impressive.”

  He said, “Thank you,” through clenched teeth. He’d grabbed the bedspread in his fists, tried to anchor his body in some way that would keep him grounded, but when she sat up, scooted down, and bent over him, he abandoned all ties to the earth.

  Her warm lips hovered an inch away when her phone rang again. His followed an instant later. Taylor looked at him guiltily, and with every ounce of strength he had, he said, “You’d better get it.”

  She looked down once more, and he saw her frown. But the phones were persistent as hell, and for all he knew, something was wrong. He’d feel like a dog if it were an emergency and he stopped her from getting the message.

  “I’ll be right back.” She grabbed the phone. “Hello?”

  Ben ignored his cell and struggled to sit up, then get off the bed. With what little dignity he could muster, he fled to the bathroom to try and get himself together. There would be time for stage two soon enough. If, of course, he didn’t die first.

  “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?”

  Taylor looked at the closed bathroom door. “Hi, Mom. When did you get in?”

  “Over an hour ago, and we’ve been trying to reach you ever since. Didn’t you hear the page?”

  “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t. I was in the bath.”

  “For an hour?”

  “Reading,” she said, know
ing it sounded lame. She had to turn away, to stop thinking about Ben and the state she’d left him in. Poor guy. He looked like he was hurting. She’d make it up to him. That made her smile.

  “Well, get dressed and come to my room. I’m in 1012. We have to talk.”

  “Is everything all right?”

  “Aside from the fact that Lisa and her mother are taking us to some mystery location tonight after dinner? We’re supposed to be semidressed, whatever that means. And I just found out that her mother’s dress is pale blue with white lace, which sounds exactly like my dress, so now I have to go buy another one, and I have no intention of spending the kind of money they charge at the hotels. So you’ll have to come with me now so we can get back in time for dinner.”

  “Me?” Taylor asked, knowing it was a silly question. Her mother hated to shop, never trusted her own judgment. When Taylor had lived with her, she’d had to accompany her mom on all clothes shopping trips, and after she’d gone to San Francisco, her mother’s friend Beverly had taken over the task. Normally, Taylor didn’t mind, but she didn’t want to leave the hotel now.

  Her gaze went back to the bathroom door. Still closed.

  “Please, honey, I want to talk to you about this whole mess. And who knows when we’ll have time alone.”

  “Sure, Mom. No problem. I’ll be ready in about fifteen minutes, and I’ll come by your room. Okay?”

  Her mother sighed. “Thank goodness. I’m just so…”

  “Get some wine out of the minibar.”

  “It’s three o’clock. What are you talking about?”

  “It’s okay, Mom. I promise. It’ll calm you down. Besides, it’s Vegas. No one will think a thing about it.”

  A quiet “Humph,” was her only response, and then the dial tone.

  Fifteen minutes and she’d have to face her mother. Which meant she had to get into the shower, pronto. Maybe Ben could wash her back.

  No. Fifteen minutes wasn’t nearly enough time for that. She’d have to wait until later. Until tonight.

  BEN WAITED FOR STEVE at the lobby lounge, debating whether he should drop a few bucks into the video poker machine imbedded in the bar. His beer was cold, he was early, so what the hell? He took out a twenty and fed it to the hungry machine.

  He played double-double poker, one of the many variations of the game available on the machine. This one had no wild cards at least, and it was played like regular poker. The difference was in the payout schedule, and since it was highly unlikely that he would win, he didn’t give it that much thought.

  What he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about was his afternoon with Taylor. Good God. He felt as if he hadn’t been with a woman in years, not months. And that he hadn’t been with a real woman since he’d last been with her ten years ago.

  It should have told him something that he hadn’t been as excited about sex with Alyson. Maybe he blanked it out, maybe he assumed it would get better. It hadn’t. In fact, toward the end, the sex had disappeared completely. Of course, he was the only one who’d done without. Alyson had been with Gail, the woman who was now her life partner. And he hadn’t suspected a thing.

  Some private dick. Couldn’t even tell that his own wife was gay. It did appease him somewhat that she hadn’t known, either. Or at least she hadn’t admitted it to herself until after they were married. And he did know she loved him. Just not the way a husband and wife should.

  There had been women after her, of course. In the beginning, he’d been something of a jerk, proving himself, he supposed. But that had calmed down, and in the past year there had only been the occasional liaison, nothing serious, nothing earth-shaking. Just pleasant conversation, nice naked tumbles, don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.

  With Taylor, it was anything but pleasant. Or ordinary. And he sure as hell didn’t want to see anything hit her on the ass, with the possible exception of his palm.

  She’d lit him up like a Roman candle, and they hadn’t even done the deed. God, he wished he knew where the women had gone off to tonight. More importantly, when they’d return. He planned to be there when Taylor got back, and he didn’t plan on doing much sleeping after.

  In the meantime, he had to put all thoughts of the delicious Taylor out of his mind. He had Steve to himself tonight, and he planned to talk to the man. Understand what he thought he was doing. Maybe even get Steve to reconsider. At the very least, postpone.

  Ben took another sip of his beer, then hit max play. He had three deuces, which he held. He almost spit when the fourth one hit. That was a damn big payoff for quarters. Maybe his luck was changing. Maybe…

  He slammed the cash-out button. That’s the kind of thinking that led to overspending, cash advances, trouble in River City. Not for him.

  “Hey, buddy. What have you got there?”

  “Stevie!” Ben turned and shook his hand the way they always did, brutally. In the old days, they’d try and break bones, but things had improved with time. Now, they just went for bruises.

  Steve sat down on the stool next to Ben’s. “Barkeep, I’ll have one of those,” he said, pointing to Ben’s beer. “And get my fine friend another.”

  “So, tell me. What’s the big secret with the girls? Why all the hush-hush stuff?”

  Steve shrugged as he eyed the others nearby at the bar, his gaze lingering on a tan brunette with a very low-cut blouse. “Don’t have a clue. The whole evening was set up by some friends of Lisa’s back home. They couldn’t make it to the wedding, so they planned this mystery evening.”

  “But only the women?”

  “Probably something at a beauty shop. Lisa can’t get enough of having her nails done, or facials or some such nonsense. She roped me into a facial once. Thought it was the most horrible thing I’d ever been through. I’d rather face gale-force winds without a rudder.”

  Ben chuckled at the thought, wondering again what in hell Steve was doing with Lisa Caton. “So you’re giving it all up, eh? The freedom of the seas for a necktie and three-martini lunches?”

  Steve nodded, his smile quizzical and his gaze fixed on the bartender. “I know you all think I’ve gone round the bend, but I swear I haven’t. She’s really something. Once you get to know her, you’ll get it.”

  “I believe you.”

  “I mean, she has such a clear vision of her future. Mine now, too, I suppose. And I have to tell you, Ben, I like the picture she’s painted. Sure, I’ll miss the fleet, but Jesus, what kind of a life was that, I mean, long-term? You know what I’m saying?”

  “No.”

  “Come on. Did you really think I’d be out there fishing forever? That I’d be some old geezer trying to catch sailfish for tourists?”

  The beer arrived, and Steve paid for both drinks. He left a five as a tip, then turned back to Ben. “It’s a damn hard life, Ben. You’ve been with me often enough to know that.”

  “Yeah. I’ve also been with you often enough to know that you love it. That you’ve never wanted to do anything but sail and fish.”

  “For God’s sake, everyone’s acting like I’m giving up the throne. It’s fishing. And I’ll still own the boats. I can go any time I want.”

  “Between selling aircraft parts, you mean?”

  “You don’t think I can do it?”

  Ben held up his hand. “No, man. That’s not what I said. I think you can do anything you set your mind to. I was in school with you, remember? You didn’t even have to study half the time.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s what I think. I can do it. Make a good living. A great living. I can take care of Lisa, and our kids. Have a life that’s worth something.”

  Ben nodded then stared at the flashing light from his video poker machine. As if summoned, the bartender came back with his winnings, counted it out and waited somewhat obviously for a tip. Ben obliged. When he turned back to Steve, his friend’s face had become sullen and his gaze far too distant. Something else was going on with this marriage thing, but…Steve wasn’t about
to admit what. Not outright. At least, not on one beer.

  Maybe the guy didn’t even realize what had compelled him to move so fast. To run as far as he could away from the sea. But Ben wasn’t about to let the wedding take place unless he knew, for a fact, that Steve understood his real reasons, and still wanted to move forward.

  “So, tell me about Taylor,” he said.

  Steve grinned, crooked his head in Ben’s direction. “Tell you what?”

  “What’s the deal? How come she’s not married with 2.3 kids and a golden Lab?”

  “Hell if I know. She’s had chances. I know two guys right off the bat that wanted her like crazy. Renny was an attorney, looked just like Richard Gere. He came down to San Diego and tried to get in with Mom. I guess he thought if the family approved, Taylor would cave.”

  “And, yet, they’re not married.”

  Steve shook his head. “I asked her what it was about him. She told me she didn’t like his hands. I know. Crazy. His hands. The guy was already pulling in high six figures. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in politics some day.”

  “And what about the other one?”

  “Oh, shit. Yeah. What was his name? Johnny. Or Jimmy. Something like that. He loved to fish. He caught a couple of world-class barracudas on the Silver Mermaid. He was in finance. Arbitrage, I think. Another one who made a fortune, but our girl doesn’t seem to care much about that.”

  “No, I guess she doesn’t.”

  “Who can tell with Taylor? She could be a first-rate attorney herself, but she doesn’t want to. She likes being a paralegal. Likes not having the responsibility.”

  “I admire her for understanding herself so well.”

  “If she really did understand herself, she’d be married by now.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “That’s what it’s all about, right? When you get it, then it all falls into place. The people you need to meet are just…there.”

  “This from the man who once told me that life was like fishing? Sometimes the net is full and sometimes the net is empty. But you still get out in the trade winds.”