Clapping drew his attention to the woman standing in the doorway. Dressed in black running shorts that molded her thighs and a hot pink sports bra barely covered by a white tank top, Danielle was stunning. Her eyes shone with humor and her cheeks glowed with exertion. A light sheen of sweat made her entire body glisten. William’s mouth watered with the need to lick her from head to toe.
“Sorry about the suit,” she said, stepping out onto the balcony. He watched, mesmerized, as she uncapped a bottle of water and drank deeply, the movement of her throat calling attention to the golden flesh of her neck. A drop of water escaped from the corner of her mouth. She giggled and chased it with her tongue in a long sweeping motion.
William’s cock filled with blood at the sensory memory. He was more than ready to finish what she’d started under his desk.
Then he remembered what he’d said to her. The harsh words, the crude insult. Shame clogged his throat and his erection wilted. He pushed himself up from the chaise. “Ah, hey. What I said to you at my office… I want to apologize again. It was sexist and demeaning, and absolutely uncalled for.”
She set her bottle on the table and leaned against it. “Why’d you say it?”
Like her dog, Danielle was showing her claws. His stomach churned. If she wanted him to spill his guts, he would. He owed her the truth, even if it made her mad all over again. He kept his voice as soft and neutral as possible. “Because I knew it would hurt you.”
She held his gaze, her expression completely unreadable. His shirt began to feel tight, constricting his chest and squeezing off his air, as he awaited her first volley.
“So, is this what you always do when you’re angry, or am I just special?”
“It’s an attack strategy: Use your opponent’s weakness against him.”
Her brow creased and she gripped the edge of the table. “I’m your opponent now? Maybe you should tell me what we’re fighting over and what the rules are, so I can be prepared for next time.” He marveled at her self-control. If their situations were reversed, he wouldn’t be so calm.
He stepped closer and very tentatively touched her cheek, giving her plenty of opportunity to knock his hand away. But she didn’t. “There won’t be a next time.” His voice was thick with conviction.
“We’re what—friends?—then?”
“I’d like that.”
“Ditto.” She grinned, and he felt like a weight the size of her dog had been lifted off his shoulders.
His eyes roamed her face, her eyes, her lips. He wanted to kiss her, wanted to do more than that, but he had to keep things cool, at least for now. Instead, he settled for curling a dark strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail around his finger. “How about we get changed and go out? Grab a bite to eat.”
“As friends.”
Since they were keeping this whatever it was quiet, an evening out as friends would have to do. “Sure.”
Reaching down, she rubbed her palm along the bulge in his trousers, eliciting a groan from him. It just felt so fucking good. She felt good. Chuckling at his reaction, she said, “And here I thought you’d jump me as soon as I walked through the door.”
He leaned down and sniffed her neck, then licked her from her clavicle to that little spot behind her ear. “That can still be arranged,” he whispered, knowing his breath would cool the path he’d made wet.
She shivered and clung to his shoulders. “Maybe going out first would be a good idea.”
Pleasure swelled in his chest upon hearing the rasp in her voice. A rasp he’d put there. His hands tightened around her waist and he lifted her onto the table where they’d shared dinner the night before. She wrapped her legs around his waist and scooted forward until their groins touched. Hormones turning his blood to liquid fire, his mouth came down on hers. Dinner would have to wait. Right now he was hungry for something else: her.
She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, biting gently with her teeth. The sting, the strange mix of pain and pleasure, ripped through him. And when she bathed the spot with her tongue, the smooth stroke went straight to his cock. Moaning, he tilted her head back, changing the angle, and took control of the kiss. She tasted like sin and salvation all rolled up into one.
Desperate to touch her, to explore the texture of her skin, he ripped off her tank top. As his lips reconnected with hers, his hands skimmed over every exposed inch. When they finally broke apart, both panting, needing air, her eyes twinkled. “Change of plans?”
“We’re eating in tonight.”
“Eating?” she teased.
“Oh, yeah.”
“What’s on the menu?”
His lips quirked. “A sweet succulent firefighter.”
She laughed and glanced around. “Sweet? Where is she?”
He caught her lip, nipping it gently. “She’s right here.” Bending his head, he ran his tongue over the swells of her breasts. “So sweet.”
Sports bra and all, he sucked a nipple into his mouth. “So succulent.” Letting her go, he raised his head so he was staring into her eyes. “And don’t you forget it.”
Her eyes glazing with passion, she grabbed his head and pulled him to her for another kiss. Her fierceness took him by surprise. His lips parted and her tongue invaded, plundered, conquered. Fuck. No woman had ever made him feel so taken. And he wasn’t exactly sure what he thought about that. He just knew that he wanted her, no matter the terms.
She tugged his shirt out of his pants and fumbled with the buttons. After a few curses, she managed to push it off his shoulders and draped it over a nearby chair. That small action—caring for his things—undid him.
He groaned and pulled her against his chest, needing to feel skin on skin. His questing hands slid up her ribcage. The bra had to go.
A subtle cough.
His head shooting up, he came face-to-face with old Mrs. Norris. Shit. Fuck. It was dinnertime. On a warm evening like this, many of his neighbors would be enjoying the weather and dining on their balconies. Outside. Where they could see him and Danielle. His stomach cramping, he glanced over his shoulder and spotted his other neighbor’s teenage son, pretending to read, his face bright red as he flipped the pages of an upside-down magazine.
Without a word, he turned and carried Danielle inside. When he crossed the threshold, she tapped his shoulder and pointed to Coco. The dog still sat where he’d told her to earlier. “Coco, heel,” he said and waited for her to lumber through the door. Impatience ate at him. Was the dog trying to kill him? Once she was finally inside, he slammed the sliding door shut, closing out his nosy neighbors.
“Coco, rest.” The dog curled up on the carpet near the door. It really was amazing how she listened to him. He could get used to that. Could get used to a dog, if he had one like Coco.
Danielle’s body trembled against his. Was she crying? Shit. The situation had been embarrassing, but more so for him than for her. Still. “Hey, sweetheart.” He shifted her weight to free one hand and stroked her cheek. “It’s all right.”
Her chest hitched against his shoulder once more before she raised her head, tears leaking from her eyes. But they were clearly tears of mirth. “Oh my God, Will. Did you see their faces? And yours was priceless.”
Relief loosened the knot in his stomach. He chuckled. “I’m sure we shocked Mrs. Norris into an early grave.”
“Are you kidding? She was so giddy from ogling your amazing chest, you probably got her juices flowing for the first time in years.”
He practically choked on her choice of words. The last thing he wanted to think about was Mrs. Norris’ juices. Now Danielle’s juices were another matter. Her arms were slung around his neck, pushing her breasts together, creating an interesting valley that screamed for attention. Halfway to his room, he paused and leaned her against the wall. Just for a minute. He had to— Just a taste. One lick. Nuzzling her chest, he snuck his tongue into her cleavage. She tasted of clean sweat and horny woman. Exactly the way he liked her.
“Did you see
the kid?” she asked, on a gasp. “His face was so red, I thought he was going to pop.”
Will nodded, his eyes knowing. “All it took was one look at you in this get-up.” His hand slid down her back, following each indent of her spine until it came to rest on her ass. He joggled her up, tighter against his aching cock. “One look to make me want you.”
She rocked against him and moaned. “How do you know he wasn’t eyeing you? Your back is very sexy. And that ass? Wow. The things a nice pair of tailored trousers can do for a man.”
He mock-frowned at her. “I’ll have you know, this ass is the result of many, many laps in the swimming pool.” Having reached his bedroom, he unclasped her hands from his nape and let her slide down his body. The friction ignited every cell from his chest to his groin.
As his body sizzled and sparked, her hands went to his belt. “Mr. Caldwell, I think you’d better let me be the judge of that. Now show me the goods.”
“Tit for tat?”
“I do believe you’ve already seen my tits.” She grinned, full of sass.
He stared at her, mildly shocked by her use of that word, a word most women abhorred. But that was Danielle. She was so different from the women he usually dated, he had no frame of reference, no way to predict her reactions. No way to predict what she wanted.
The woman was a puzzle, an enigma. Luckily, he loved a good mystery.
Dani sat on the edge of Will’s king-size bed and held her breath. With a wink, Will undid the buttons at the waistband of his pants and slowly slid the zipper down, the rasp of metal on metal like a rough tongue across her clit. The man was sex on a stick!
When he spun around and wiggled his finely muscled ass, she laughed. “Come on, Caldwell. Drop ‘em.”
Obeying her, he let his pants fall to the floor and flashed a grin over his shoulder. With another gyration, he hooked his thumbs into his boxers and pulled them down to his feet. He stepped out of the pile of clothes and cocked a brow. “So… bragging rights?”
She licked her dry lips and forced herself to breathe. “Oh yeah.” Under the heat of her gaze, his butt cheeks clenched, the sleek muscles beneath his pale skin. Clearly not a nudist. But maybe she could change that.
She twirled her finger in a turn-around motion. “Let’s see the rest of you.”
Will’s cheeks darkened as he faced her. His cock stood proud in its nest of dark curls, the head pushing against sculpted abs outlined by a deep V. Will might be a desk jockey, but he kept his body in as great shape as any of the rescue team. And those veins? She had the insane need to taste them, to run her tongue along the ridged path from his waist, down to his perfectly proportioned cock.
“Do I pass muster?” he asked, his crystal blue eyes mocking.
She grinned. “You’ve certainly got the goods. Now let’s see if you know what to do with them.”
Will was a man who clearly knew his effect on women. Was he a player? Had he been? As long as she’d known Jamie, he’d been a one-woman man. Erica was his world. Chad and Drew were something else entirely. Was Will like Jamie or like his younger brothers? She shouldn’t even care. She wasn’t with Will. They were just having fun together. Passing the time until her apartment was fixed.
His lips curved into a playful snarl as he advanced on her, his lean body a tiger on the prowl. And she was his prey. When he pounced onto the bed, straddling her, she squealed, then laughed as she let herself fall back. This lighter side of Will was one she’d never seen before. One she hoped to see a lot more before she left.
She shoved her fingers into his hair and dragged his head down, growling softly as their lips met. He snaked an arm under her and centered her on the bed. While tugging on her lip, he sank down onto her, spreading her legs with his hips.
The weight of him, the heat of him, it was like being wrapped in a warm blanket. Nice. Comfortable. And not what she wanted. Not enough. Shit.
Focus, Harris. Let yourself enjoy this. Enjoy him.
Turning her head, she exposed the side of her neck, always one of her most erogenous zones. Will got the hint and pressed his lips to her throat, nibbling and sucking his way to her ear. Her heart raced and her belly tightened. Oh yes. Maybe this would work after all. She concentrated on his mouth, on the sensations he was causing with the scrape of his teeth along the sensitive tendons.
His hands slid up her sides, their heat branding her. She gasped when he caught the edge of her running bra and pulled it over her head. He tossed it onto his dresser, then shot her an evil grin before descending on her breasts.
Oh this man could teach classes on foreplay. His large hands kneaded the flesh and rolled the peaked nipples against his palms. “You have the most beautiful tits,” he said, his breath making her shiver.
She snorted. “Yeah, if you like pebbles.”
He glared at her, lips thin, jaw tight. “Keep breaking the rules, Harris, and I’ll have to punish you.”
“Will…” She sighed and turned her head. “We both know I have the shape of a teenage boy.”
“What the fuck? I’m not into boys. You’re a woman, a whole lot of woman. I don’t know who made you think otherwise, but I’d give anything to beat the shit out of them.”
She knew she was staring, knew she was gaping like a carp, but she couldn’t help it. With his eyes burning into hers like that, he looked so fierce, so adamant in his defense of her. She’d never had anyone do that before. Never thought she’d deserved it. She’d been her only defender for so long. This was… interesting.
Unsure how to feel, what to say, she opted to fall back on her old standby. Sex was something she knew. Something she was good at.
Hooking her left leg around Will’s right one, she pushed his opposite shoulder and flipped him over in a wrestling move she’d learned when she’d taken classes. His eyes widened in surprise and his cock twitched between her thighs. “I might be smaller than you, hot shot, but I’ve got moves you don’t even know about.”
His eyes bright with amusement, he held his arms out to the side in a placating gesture. “Does this mean you want to be on top?”
She hesitated. “Not exactly.” It was too soon. He’d push her away. Make her leave. And she didn’t want to go yet. She wanted this time with him, this reprieve, even it if was only for a month.
He stroked her arms, startling her with his gentleness, the tenderness in his eyes. “Whatever it is, just ask.”
“What if you don’t like it?”
“Then I’ll tell you.”
Was it as simple as that? Could it be? Fear gripped her, making her shiver. Beads of cold sweat trickled over her temple.
He caught one with his fingertip and frowned. “Why are you so nervous? We can stop if this isn’t what you want.”
“No!” She took a deep breath and tried to slow her heart, speeding like a runaway elevator. “I do want this. I want you. I just…” She trailed off, dread trapping the rest of the sentence in her throat.
“You just what? I’m not as straight-laced as you might think, Danielle. It takes a lot to shock me.”
Looking down at his chest, she smoothed her hand over the light layer of soft hair. “Don’t hate me, okay?”
“I could never hate you.”
Now that made her laugh. “You’re such a liar. Until a few days ago, you hated my guts.”
“I didn’t hate you. I hated that I wanted you.”
Huh? “And now?”
“Now, I can want you and I can have you.” He pushed his hips up, rubbing his cock against her pussy.
His mischievous grin eased her anxiety. “You think so?”
“I know so. Now tell me what you want. Tell me how I can have you before my balls turn blue again.”
“Again?” She smirked.
“Get on with it, woman.”
She licked her lips, which had become as dry as Seattle in midsummer. Nerves had her belly in knots. Was she doing the right thing? Why not just play it vanilla? She could do that, couldn’t she? Proba
bly. Though it wouldn’t be very satisfying. But if he went along with her plans…
She had to risk it. “I want you to sit in a chair.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“And let me tie your arms to it.”
His nostrils flared and his cock twitched again. Definitely interested. He licked his lips and the sight of his tongue reminded her of what he’d done with his mouth the previous day. The rush of moisture between her legs had her grinding against him.
“And then what?” he asked, breathless.
She hesitated, but only for a moment. This was it. The moment of truth. “Then I want you to watch me.”
His brow lowered over his eyes. “Watch you do what?”
“Whatever you want me to do.”
Chapter 7
Holy fuck! William’s mouth felt like he’d chewed a wad of paper. No woman had ever offered him what Danielle just had.
Bondage had never been high on his list of favorite activities, but he couldn’t deny the adrenaline that had surged through his body when she’d mentioned it. Had it been a fight-or-flight instinct or something more? Something darker? He’d never enjoyed the feeling of being restrained. Of being under someone else’s control. Except he wouldn’t be powerless, would he? If he’d understood her correctly, she’d be the one under his control. He’d be directing her. His thighs clenched with need.
When he met her gaze, Danielle had a shy, vulnerable look in her eyes. “If you’ll be doing what I want, why the need to tie me up?” he asked, his voice gentle.
“So you can’t turn the tables on me.”
“You’re afraid I’ll overpower you.”
She stroked his bicep and nibbled her bottom lip. Another sign of vulnerability. “I like to be told what to do, not forced. There is a difference.”
His hands curled into fists. “Did someone ever…?”
Closing her eyes, she said, “Not in the way you’re thinking. It’s just that some guys take advantage… you know?”
“I wouldn’t. I won’t. But if tying me up makes you more comfortable, then I’m good with that.”
Everything Bared (Six-Alarm Sexy) Page 8
