“Play what out?” His pulse thudded in his ears. Did he dare?
“This sizzle in the air, that kiss from the other night. You like me, I like you. We enjoy each other. Let’s see where it goes.”
Cameron swallowed hard. Finding his mouth had gone dry, he grabbed his wine glass and gulped half the mellow red.
Attraction had been an implicit factor between them since he first saw her. Silent, building itself up with every touch, glance, fact he learned about her. And now that his desire for her threatened to break through the walls he needed to keep his life safe, she had to give him an ultimatum.
He wanted nothing more than to do as she asked, play things out and see where they went. Looking into her gold-flecked green gaze he didn’t see a choice. His passions had been stirred, the game started. The only way to ever know for sure if he’d learned anything at all from his mistakes would be to try with someone as worthy as Lauren seemed to be.
“I’d need an exclusive agreement.”
“Of course. Honestly Cameron, I don’t have much time for relationships either. It seems like the perfect solution for us both, combining work and play.”
“I agree. If you decide you want to be with someone else, I need you to tell me. I don’t want to deal with someone else’s jealousy.” Scenes flashed through his mind, fast and furious. He liked Lauren, but not enough to go through that again. Ever since he’d walked in to find his fiancé and his roommate together, he kept it casual so not to relive that moment.
“Same goes for me. Since our relationship is public, it would be too embarrassing to know the people I work for are whispering about me.”
“Okay then.” Cameron reached under his seat and pulled out the itinerary of the next month he’d mocked up. “Here’s the dinners and parties I have to attend. I’d like for you to make as many of them as possible.”
She took the folder, but didn’t look at it. “Not so fast. You have to eat something, remember.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, but I am. Butternut squash penne with sage and pine nuts or sautéed spinach with garlic chips. Your choice.”
Part challenge, part game. She thought he didn’t like to eat. She had no idea he could eat everything on the table, only leaving dribbles on his shirt. With deliberate slowness he lifted the plate of spinach and slid some onto his plate. The earthy aroma made his mouth water. The first bite was perfect, rich spinach, deep roasted garlic, warm olive oil, and they’d brightened the dish with a hint of lemon.
With a shake of her head, Lauren opened the folder. Her eyes widened as she perused the long list of dinners, cocktail parties, benefits, and holiday gatherings. Her tongue flicked out, wetting her lips as she flipped the pages. Cameron closed his eyes and stifled a groan.
So used to shutting his responses off completely, cracking the door to his libido seemed to open the floodgates to a torrent of wanting. He wanted to follow those urges. Straight to a bedroom with a door that locked and soundproof walls. Ah hell, he’d reverted back to a horny teenager after knowing her for just two days.
“How can you say yes to all these people, and I can’t even get you to taste pasta?” Cameron opened his eyes to see her playful pout, an orange-coated pasta tube on the end of the fork she held out to him.
“I need to establish myself, get them to trust me, respect me. Learn who they are so I can discover how to get what I want from them.” He winced, realizing how cold and calculating he sounded.
“But you want something from me, need to establish a trust. Try the damn penne.”
“I tried the spinach.”
“Now try this.” She waved the fork, dancing it closer to him. “I think you’ll like it.”
He shook his head, trying not to laugh at her antics. She thought she was goading him into something. In two seconds he expected her to call him chicken.
“Do we need to resort to playground trade-offs?”
He quirked an eyebrow, wondering what she had in mind.
“You eat the penne, I’ll try something you suggest.”
Cameron cleared his throat, coughing at where his mind took that suggestion.
“Fine. We’ll do that. If you give it a chance.”
“You have no idea what I’m thinking.”
“Call me hopeful.” She smiled, offering him the fork again.
Refusing her would be grounds to have his man-card revoked. Grasping her slim wrist, he steered the bite into his mouth. Buttery and almost sweet, a bit nutty and quite cheesy. He released her and scooped more onto his plate. He felt only slightly guilty she hadn’t realized he’d eat just about anything.
“Now you want to eat?”
“You were right. I do like it.” And as much as he would love to take her up on her offer to fulfill her end of the bargain, he needed to be sure she knew what she was suggesting.
In the beginning women always said they understood his commitment to work above all else, but as things progressed they expected that to change. It never did, and they took it personally. He knew better than to compromise a woman who had every right to want more than sex, laughs, and nothing else.
With a sigh she returned to her meal, disappointment obvious on her face. Suspicion niggled at him.
“Why are you doing this?” Cameron refilled his wine glass and took a long sip as if her answer didn’t matter, when really, her response could change the way his world rotated.
“Playing along as your girlfriend or offering to be an orgasm donor?”
Cameron barely managed to grab his napkin as he choked on his wine. Once he contained his sputtering he looked at her through his watering eyes. “You did that on purpose.”
“Of course.” The feline quality to her grin set his blood on simmer.
“I need to know why.”
Lauren tasted her own wine before answering. “I agreed to play along because it sounded fun, and you are very handsome.”
“And now?”
She pushed her half eaten plate aside and leaned forward. “I’m getting lapped in the dating pool by my friends. Following the dating regulations has burned me, and thought it best to be more direct. Neither of us has the time nor desire to dance around the subject. You want me, I want you, and everyone thinks we’re together anyway. Why not give it a shot?”
“Because you know I don’t have the time to invest in a relationship.” He’d been honest with her from the beginning. He needed to know not just the truth, but what motivated her actions to be sure he could trust her. “Why settle for a temporary arrangement that would keep you from looking for what you want?”
“Because life is short, Cameron.” Setting her wine on the table she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest, drumming her fingers against her upper arms. “Maybe I’m admitting I can’t have the career I want and the relationship I want at the same time, so I’m hoping for a satisfying compromise. Besides, it makes your charade much more enjoyable for us both.”
He wanted to ask who’d told her she couldn’t have everything she desired, who’d made her think she had to give something up to succeed. But her body language read full stop. And thinking about her situation made him wonder if he hadn’t made the same exchange.
Six
“This is it,” Lauren said as they neared her building. She looked over at the brick façade of the retail storefronts that sat as the foundation for the high-rise apartments. She took a deep breath, pulling the clean scent of his cologne into her lungs. “I told you it would have been faster for me to walk.”
“What a great location.” Cameron pulled into a loading area along the curb. “You can be home in a five minute walk, and I’m stuck in a car for at least ninety minutes a day.”
“But what a car.” They chuckled together as Lauren took in the spotless interior of the Corvette. Not a napkin, coffee cup, or personal affect of any kind in sight.
“It came with the job. There’s also a huge SUV at the house, but I can’t justify t
he gas it guzzles.” Cameron ran his hand through his dark hair, pushing it off his forehead.
Lauren turned in her seat to face him. “I’m glad you invest in things you believe in. It will make the fund an easier sell for you.”
“Driving a sports car is hardly practicing what I preach. If I end up staying here very long I’ll find something more practical.”
“Are we talking about the house, or the car?” A new house would mean he’d stick around. A new car and things between them had a short shelf life. After his temporary intimate relationship comment she wondered just how temporary he planned on keeping things between them.
“We’re talking about how many events you’ll be able to make it to this week.”
He grinned and her mind began to swirl with all the possibility his mouth held. Straight white teeth, full lips. Oh my.
“I know it isn’t much notice, but invitations were waiting for me when I got here.”
“Ah yes, the holiday season starts early so everyone can throw the same party over and over.” Lauren dropped her gaze to her lap, where the folder of dates and places sat beneath her dampening palms. She wanted him to come upstairs with her, wanted to see if what sizzled between them would explode or fizzle out. But her imagination lost the race with her guilt.
“It’s a busy time for your business, so people will understand if you can’t make it.”
But would he understand? Or use it as an excuse to find someone else to audition for the role of his lovely girlfriend?
“We should leave by four o’clock on Wednesday for the dinner in Portland.”
“I’m booked with a retirement dinner.” She studied his face as he gave a curt nod, revealing nothing about how he felt.
“Think that excuse will work for me?” He reached out a hand, pushing her hair first behind one ear, and then the other.
All the air rushed out of her lungs. With a simple touch the man could reduce her to a breathless, quivering mass of need. She saw the night unfolding in her mind, his hands all over her body, followed by his mouth, and then his–
“What about the rest of the week?” His velvet voice stoked the fire, as he twisted a lock of her hair around his finger.
“That’s good.” She struggled to hide the hitch in her breathing. She only knew how to be so bold, and she didn’t have half his obvious restraint.
“I’m glad.”
Lauren stared into his heavy lidded eyes, meaning to tell him she hadn’t been talking about the schedule, but the words wouldn’t form. Her mouth had far better things it would rather be doing.
The tendril of her hair slipped off his finger as he moved his hand to the side of her face. She turned her cheek into his warm palm and closed her eyes as the pad of his thumb rubbed across her bottom lip.
“You have the most perfect lips. Soft, succulent pink. When you’re thinking, you bite your bottom lip and it drives me crazy.”
She trembled at the words, his heated breath spreading across her face. He must be moving closer, must be thinking of all the ways she wanted him to enjoy her mouth.
“When you lick your lips I want it to be me. Hell, even watching you eat turns me on.”
The sound of his voice, scent of him in the warm air of the car threatened to overload her senses so she didn’t dare open her eyes. Dazed by the chemistry flowing between them, Lauren leaned forward until her lips found his on instinct. Her hands drifted to his body of their own volition, one palming his wool-clad thigh, the other gripping his silk tie to keep him where she needed him.
In his kiss she tasted the wine from dinner, the deep chocolate from the dessert they shared, and a desire so electric it melted her inhibitions. Soft as a question at first, but her answer was obvious to them both. He captured her lips, nibbled, sucked with a passion she’d only read about.
In an instant she lost all sense of time or place, exchanging kisses that taunted and tempted, diving into a sea of longing that threatened to drown them both. But what a way to go.
Lauren’s hand slid up his muscular thigh. In their inopportune position with the center console between them there wasn’t much contact, but she could definitely learn more about him by pushing her fingers farther down…
Fantasies spun in her mind. She’d dreamed of him on occasion, but never in her wildest imagination did she consider living the dreams, until now. Her hand moved higher until her fingers brushed against the sizable proof she wasn’t the only one affected by the kiss.
Through the confines of his slacks she pressed her palm against him, curling her fingers around his erection. She ran her hand up, and up, and oh my.
“Are you smiling?” Cameron pulled back just far enough to whisper.
“We should go upstairs.” Pressing her thighs together to stem the ache, she released him and eased back into her seat.
“Because of…” Cameron looked down at his lap and then back to her.
“I wanted to go upstairs since I decided to let you drive me home instead of walking.” She met his gaze and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.
Cameron’s groan made her shiver. “Where do I park?”
Testosterone-fueled need battled with adrenaline-charged fright as Cameron let Lauren lead him through the front door of her apartment building and straight to the elevator. There were so many things she didn’t know about him, and as dangerous as it would be to admit his weaknesses to her, having her find out the ugly way would be worse. Once the elevator doors closed, Cameron framed her face in his hands and pressed his forehead against hers.
“If we do get involved, you have to understand I will never want it to be more than casual.” Her eyes widened. He knew he was being coarse, but bluntness now would save them theatrics later on. “I understand if you need to change your mind.”
Her head shook ever so slightly. “Did I tell you I’ve dreamed about us?”
“Last night?” So had he.
Her head shook again. “Since the first time I saw you. I wanted your bright blue eyes to see me. Even though I only watched you at a party, I knew something more lurked beneath your cool surface.” Her hands snuck beneath the lapels of his jacket. “There is this wall you live behind, like a cage for a tiger. I want your wild side to come out and play with mine. We’ll keep each other’s secrets.”
She didn’t know how close to the truth she came. Before he could tell her, the bell dinged and the doors parted. Taking his hand, she pulled him down the hallway.
Excitement sparkled in the golden flecks of her green eyes as she handed him the folder and dug in her purse for her keys. Finding the prize, she unlocked the door and pushed him inside.
“Sorry about the rush,” she said, flipping on the light. “Nosy neighbors.”
Cameron laughed, setting the folder on the small glass table by the door and turned to take in her apartment. Breath froze in his chest. Minimalist and modern, her apartment resembled his back in New York so much he felt more at home here than he did at the house where he got his mail. She’d been so attuned to him from the very beginning, he should have guessed her tastes would mirror his own. And with every moment he spent in her presence, his attraction to her grew.
City lights twinkled from the floor-to-ceiling bay window. He could even hear the buzz of bustling city. She’d used more color than he’d ever thought to, blending deep red curtains with burnt orange chairs, natural wood floors and splashes of bright green in the pillows and throws on the brown chaise. From the granite countertops of her small kitchen, to the dark glass pendant lighting, everything was contemporary, yet casual. Perfectly Lauren.
“You like?” she asked, standing behind as she pulled his coat from his shoulders. He shrugged it off and turned around to face her.
“I like you.” He slid his fingers through her silken hair, tilting her head to the perfect angle.
“Good answer.” She gripped his tie, pulling him closer, but that was the last bit of control he allowed her.
He took possession of her
lips. Her gasp told him his kiss was harder, more demanding than she expected, but since she followed it up with a moan as he deftly slipped her coat from her shoulders and slid his hands beneath her sweater to touch her soft, smooth skin, he knew she didn’t mind.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss with a passion that made his mind thrum with possibilities. She’d allow him anything, offered her body for his enjoyment, only asking satisfaction in return. And since he intended to explore her body fully, indulging every urge he’d stifled, that would be his pleasure.
Moving his hand against the center of her back, he pressed her against him and deftly unclasped her bra so when he slid his hands between them he could palm her breasts and feel nothing but her velvety skin and hardened nipples. His mouth watered as he learned the shape, texture, weight.
He slid his mouth over her lips, to her jaw, nibbling at her neck, nipping at her earlobe. Everywhere he went she rewarded him with soft whimpers and breathy sighs. Her fingers pressed against his scalp as she held his head to her, her other hand struggling with the buttons on his shirt.
“Too many clothes.” Her throaty whisper made him grin.
He released her and pulled back, locking their gazes as he undid the knot in his tie. She pulled at the end, removing it in a whoosh as he set to work on the buttons of his shirt. With a naughty gleam in her eye she wrapped the ends of the tie in each hand and pulled it taut. The corner of her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth.
Cameron shook his head. “No way. I’m using my hands tonight.”
“I was thinking for me. I don’t know how much more foreplay I can take before I knock you to the ground and have my way with you.” She stepped closer, placing the tie in his hands. “This way I’d have to take it. Make me wait, Cameron.”
He grew impossibly harder as his lips found hers again, giving her the only answer she could possibly need.
An insistent knock at the door made them both jump. Who remembered other people existed in the world?
“I’m not getting that.” Lauren’s hands went to work on the remaining buttons of his shirt. The knock became louder. “They’ll give up, I swear.”
Cooking Up A Seduction Page 7
