A start. A start of what, she wanted to ask, but she held her tongue. Jared remained silent so long she had to say something. “So you like this Maya.”
“That should be obvious.”
“And you trust her.”
“Sure.” Jared seemed quite puzzled by her line of questioning.
“She does sound intriguing. Do you think I’ll ever meet her?”
“Probably not.” A corner of his mouth turned up. “That’s likely for the best.”
“Why’s that?”
“The two of you would probably get involved in a war of wills. When Maya finds a woman she likes, she seldom backs off until she has her in bed. I’ve seen her art of seduction several times.”
Kitty squinted and pursed her lips. “You think Maya would like me,” she swallowed, “—want me?”
“Absolutely. Maya has excellent taste when it comes to women.”
“I see. So does that mean you have excellent taste in women?”
“Exactly. And I’m looking at the most tasty woman I’ve ever known.”
“Cripes.” Kitty trembled slightly. His words jarred her. “I don’t think I want to meet your Maya woman. I have my hands full with you. Do you think you can come over here and hold me?”
“I’d be happy to.” Jared stood. “You’re not trying to cut off this conversation with sex, are you?”
“No,” she murmured, sliding into his welcoming arms as he settled beside her. “My pussy and ass are going to be off limits for a few more hours.” She smirked. “Of course that does leave my mouth available.”
He shook his head. “I believe my guy could stand a rest for a few hours, too.” He cocked his head. “No regrets about last night?”
She giggled and kissed his mouth softly. “If you’re looking for an apology, you won’t get it. I’m a girl who likes two cocks now and then. Do you have regrets?”
He shook his head. “Nope. It galls me a little to have to share you at all. But I doubt even I could ever get you that totally fucked. And it was nice that Ron couldn’t hang around long afterward.”
“So did you guys really go downstairs while I slept and have a beer?”
He nodded.
She scowled. “You didn’t scare Ron off did you? He’s one of my best construction guys. You should see him with a nail gun. He can hang more wall board in an hour than any three guys.”
Jared shook his head. “I wanted to tell him to never get within a hundred feet of you again, but I didn’t. I don’t own you, Kitty, and I never want to.”
“So you’d do a repeat performance.” She arched an eyebrow. “I won’t scare you off if I desire two cocks?”
Jared closed his eyes and gripped her rear with his large hand and hugged her tight.
She was nearly overcome with the warmth pouring from this man. When had he developed such an emotional need for her? Damn. Damn. Damn. How long could she afford to stay involved with him?
His lips kissed their way across her forehead and then he leaned back and stared softly at her. “You’re not going to scare me off. When are you going to start believing that?”
Her breath caught somewhere in her windpipe. “You didn’t really answer my question.”
“I don’t suppose a cock and a vibrator are the same as two cocks.”
She giggled and smoothed his mustache with an index finger. “It’s not the same.”
“I trust you won’t need a steady diet of two cocks.”
“That would take the fun out of it. And I do have to get up and go to work most days.”
He planted a kiss on the tip of her nose. “So are we working out the ground rules here for some sort of relationship?”
“It does have that feel about it.” She kissed the corner of his mouth and dragged her teeth on his mustache. “As long as you don’t expect too much from me. I don’t have much experience with relationships that last more than a month.” She narrowed her eyes. “And Ron doesn’t count. We pick each other up when the other is down, but we don’t see ourselves as involved in anything other than that. We’re good friends and have been for years.”
“To answer some of your questions, I don’t have a timeframe in mind. I want to get to know you better—much better.” He leaned away and shook his head playfully. “Not sex. I want to get to know you as a person, as a woman.”
“And.”
“I enjoy being with you. I’d love you to come out and see my ranch. From what I’ve seen, you could use a vacation.”
“Maybe.” She was curious to know how Jared lived. She’d convinced herself it was only curiosity. And she never did believe in that old adage, curiosity kills the cat.
“As to your other question,” Jared continued, “I’ll make a bargain with you. I’ll share you with another cock—a healthy cock—from time to time, if there are no other cocks when I’m not around.”
She smiled broadly. “You do drive a hard bargain.” She slipped a hand inside his robe and dragged a fingernail over his pecs. “And what about other women?”
“I thought you weren’t into women,” he teased.
She scratched his chest until he yelped. “You know that’s not what I meant. If I can’t have other cocks, you can’t have other pussies. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Nope.” He covered her hand with his. She guessed they both could feel his heart pumping. “I was hoping you might come around to my point of view.”
“Until you tire of me, or I tire of you,” she said before covering his mouth with hers.
“That’s good enough for me. Stay put.”
She watched him move off the bed and reach into his trousers. Her body cooled quickly without his warmth. She arched an eyebrow when he handed her a small package.
“Something I picked up in Amsterdam hoping we might work out some sort of agreeable arrangement,” he tilted his head, “at least for the short run.”
She did her best to ignore any implication he might intend and dug into the small package—a yellow diamond belly ring. “This is perfect,” she squealed. “I’ve been thinking about getting another belly ring for a while now. This is absolutely perfect.” She pulled up the tails of his white shirt that she still wore and held the diamond over her turquoise ring. “I’ll put it in later. So do you think this is enough yellow to make me that vision in yellow you keep teasing me about?”
He shook his head. “It helps.” He ran his fingers through her tresses. “Your straw blond hair and your broad smile is enough for that.”
“Damn,” she said, pulling his head to her shoulder. “You can be the most romantic guy sometimes.” She ran her trembling fingers through his hair. “You don’t know how scary that can be for me.”
“I’m beginning to,” he said softly against her shoulder. “Keep talking to me. I don’t want to scare you too much, too quickly.”
She heaved as he sighed and nuzzled her ear. “I think right now the best thing we can do is stop talking.” She hugged him tighter still. “But I do love the yellow diamond. Did Maya help you pick it out?”
“Yes. She’s rooting for us.”
“Damn. Ssh,” She whispered. “I don’t want to talk any more. Just hold me, please.”
Jared said nothing but cuddled her close.
Why did she feel like she’d just taken a huge, irrevocable step, like the Fool on the card in one of her Tarot decks? She jerked her eyes wide open. Jared was already asleep. She hadn’t thought about or used her Tarot cards in years. She snuggled closer to her male heat source. Maybe it was time to check back in with that mystical side of her she so often wanted to deny.
- o -
Feigning sleep, Jared hummed a soft tune in his head. He’d gotten more of a commitment out of Kitty than he’d expected. There was no timeframe. But they had agreed to an exclusive relationship—well, sort of. At least he wasn’t going to have to worry about her taking on all the males in Chicago without him present. And he did trust her, and he knew if she absolutely wanted out, she�
�d tell him. That was about all he could hope for, for now.
He’d take his time with her. She could be skittish as a young filly.
He thought of the spectacular grin on her face when she’d spied the diamond belly ring. He smiled—he couldn’t have made a better selection. Again, he was thankful for Maya’s assistance.
Ah, Maya. He would miss holding the petite woman in his arms, but he’d never let his Kitty go without a real fight.
He wondered if Kitty knew there were cases in the animal world where a lioness sank her claws so deeply into its prey it couldn’t let go.
CHAPTER EIGHT
After rearranging his stock portfolio, Jared hit the exit button and snapped his laptop shut. He glanced around the spare bedroom Kitty had set him up in for a temporary office. Even he was surprised by how smoothly the last several days had gone since his return from Amsterdam. With the Chicago Mercantile Exchange located in the city, he had plenty to do and had taken the time to renew some long dormant contacts. Many traders considered Chicago to be the hub of the commodities world. He’d traveled enough to know that might not be exactly true, but it was close enough.
Most importantly, his love life had smoothed out. Kitty would go on guard if he pushed her too hard, but she didn’t seem intent on trying to scare him off. That was progress.
She was as difficult to satisfy in bed as usual, but she seemed to have found a reservoir of patience he hadn’t noticed before he’d gone to London. He didn’t count on that lasting.
She really did seem pleased with the yellow diamond. She’d put it in place later the morning he’d given it to her, and she hadn’t replaced it yet. He loved the way it sparkled as she thrashed beneath him.
He chuckled. She’d accepted that diamond without pause. How long could he wait before giving her the diamond he really wanted her to wear?
He shook his head. “Easy,” he muttered. It might take months to wear her down that much—even years. In time, he’d wear her down—he pulled on his mustache—with romance and simply with being around. She’d wake up some morning and know she didn’t want to spend another day without him, and then he’d strike. She might fight him, but he would persevere. He’d been a marathon runner in college. Those races paled compared to the one he was now running.
Did she know he was racing for her heart? He delighted in her body, but he wouldn’t be satisfied until he’d claimed her heart and had given his to her.
The key to the race was reading her non-verbals—not necessarily what she said, but how she reacted. Kitty was an extremely kinetic woman. Maybe that explained her wildness in bed. Unlike him, she had a difficult time being passive. She’d tilt her chin lower and give him a very pensive if not frightened look when he asked for too much emotion from her or when he didn’t monitor his own.
She wanted him, but she hadn’t yet decided she wanted or needed all of him. He flexed his shoulders and winced at the sudden pain. Did she know she’d drawn blood the night before when she clawed his back as he spilled into her?
What would Maya make of that?
Jared checked his watch. Kitty would be back in an hour and a half. He still had time to shower and then make the light supper he’d promised to have ready when she got home.
He hadn’t felt this domestic in years, if ever. It would be good to head back to the track tomorrow. He’d begun to miss the smell of horses badly.
He sighed. Soon he’d have to head back to his ranch. It wasn’t that he was needed to run it, he just missed the place. Was Kitty too big-city to be comfortable on a small working ranch?
“Damn,” he muttered, heading toward the shower. That question was one he hadn’t wanted to seriously consider. He’d hate like hell to give up his ranch, but then he was getting ahead of himself.
He brightened and laughed aloud. Maybe he’d treat her to three cocks if she agreed to move to the ranch.
- o -
“Thanks for the bottle of wine you sent over,” Rebecca said to Kitty as they stopped to buy hot dogs and drinks before returning to their box to join the men.
Kitty smiled at her friend as she listened to her over the din of the Arlington Park racing crowd. Apparently, they’d missed the fourth race. “I’m glad you liked it. I guess there is no such thing as a sure bet.”
The older woman smiled easily. “I knew I was making a sure bet. Still, it was nice to win. Lawrence and I found some novel ways to enjoy the wine. Of course we thought of you and Jared when we shared it.”
Kitty paid for their food and they both walked over to the condiment table. “I’m pleased I’m so much of an inspiration for your love life.”
“Successful marriages, I believe, require inspiration and innovation, but then you wouldn’t know about that.”
Kitty looked sharply at Rebecca.
“I love the outfit you have on,” Rebecca said, perhaps looking for a safer conversation topic. “You look tremendous in canary yellow. And I’ve always loved the shirtdress style. The wide black belt works, too. And those high heeled sandals are to die for. Tell me about them.”
Kitty shrugged. “I thought the thin straps made my feet look more naked than when I was barefoot.” She grinned. “And I couldn’t resist the four jewels from toes to ankles. I was surprised by how comfortable they are.”
Rebecca winked at her when she finished spreading relish and mustard on a hot dog. “I know one thing that’d make you look even sexier.”
“What?”
“When I was a teen we wore our collars up a little.” She wiped her fingers on a napkin. “Like this.”
Kitty stood still and let Rebecca brush her hair back to fold over her collar. Kitty walked a couple feet away until she could see her reflection in glass door. “I like,” she murmured. “Thanks,” she said turning back to Rebecca. “I thought it might make me look too hoody.”
Rebecca flashed a smile. “Maybe too sexy. I’ll be amazed if Jared can keep his hands off of you.” She began putting their food on a cardboard tray. “The next time you’re not wearing a dress I really want to see that yellow diamond belly ring.” She cocked her head to the side and her eyes sparkled. “Do you think I’m too old to surprise Lawrence with a belly ring?”
Kitty giggled with her co-conspirator. “I hope a woman is never too old for a belly ring.”
Handing Jared his hot dog and fries, Kitty grinned at the lusty expression suddenly crossing his face. Rebecca was right—the raised collar was going to make the afternoon very long for Jared. Long for her, too.
“What have you two been up to,” he asked, “besides food gathering?”
“Conspiring.”
“Conspiring how to make me rock hard?” he whispered in her ear as she slid in front of him to take the seat on the other side.
“Of course.” She batted an eyelash. “Isn’t that the point?”
“Do you know you have the sexiest damn feet?”
“Uh huh.” She slapped his hand off her thigh. “You’ve told me before. And we have a much larger crowd today, so be a good boy—for a change—if you can.”
He leaned away from her and chortled, then glanced over at the tote board. “It’d be a lot easier to be a good boy if you weren’t so intent on being a naughty girl.” He gave her a crooked smile and laid half the Daily Racing Form across her lap.
She scowled at him when she felt his fingers toying with the hem of her skirt, which had ridden half way up her thigh. “If you persist on being bad, I’ll have to spank you when we get back home.”
He withdrew his hand from under the newspaper and leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Is that a promise?”
She burst out laughing. “Trust me. So how did we do on the last race?”
“Your horse came in right behind mine, so we not only won the race but got the exacta.”
She couldn’t help herself. She quickly leaned over and whispered, “So does that mean I was riding your ass?”
He shook his head and checked out the horses across the way at
the starting gate with his binoculars. “So now who is taunting?”
“So how much more do I have to do before I’ve earned a spanking?”
“Not a bit more,” he said out of the corner of his mouth. “You earned that when you came back to the box with your collar at such a rakish angle.”
“Do we have to stay for all the races?”
He let the binoculars hang from his neck and gave her a crooked smile. “You getting a little hot?”
She nodded.
“We can leave after the eighth. Will that be soon enough for you?”
She pouted. “It’ll have to be.”
“So tell me,” Kitty said, “do you suppose our sitting out here on my back porch sipping brandy rather than screwing in my entryway as soon as we stepped into the house is a sign of maturity, or a cooling of our relationship?”
“I like to think we’re merely banking the fire so it doesn’t go out in a blazing flash.” Jared brought the snifter to his lips. She watched his Adam’s apple bob and knew he was teasing her. “What do you think?”
Kitty blew him a kiss. “I think you might want to know that I removed my panties when I stopped in the bathroom.”
“Ah, at least I won’t have to rip them off you.”
“That particular item in my wardrobe has been shrinking in number since you’ve come into my life.”
Smirking, Jared brushed the back of a hand across her cheek. “I didn’t intend on impoverishing you. Perhaps you ought to consider going commando.”
“Uh, uh, I come across too many weirdos in my line of work. There are occasions when even I get a little nervous showing a house to a guy, or even a couple—particularly late at night.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” Jared’s tone had shifted from playful to sober. “Maybe you should dress more conservatively—a suit perhaps.”
“Nope. I won’t let others change who I am. I like dressing sexy and I like feeling sexy.” She raised an eyebrow. “You might be surprised by how much easier it is for me to engage people when I’m pleased with how I look.”
The Best Man Page 10
