Talking to her good friend Mackenzie had clearly been a waste of time. She told her practically nothing about him, except he was a native of Sheraton Beach. Kaelyn had been living in the small oceanfront town for almost six months and had never seen him at Spanky’s on a Friday evening. She would know because unless she had a photo shoot, Kaelyn rarely ever missed karaoke. Instead, she was there, singing her heart out. At one time she had even tried to pursue a career as a singer before a music producer told her, “Honey, you don’t have what it takes to make it in this business.”
Regardless, singing in front of an audience was something she had often dreamed about, although last night she had dreamed of something—correction—someone else. Her mind returned to her dream that had been interrupted and the gorgeous man with skin so dark it hinted at long hours out in the sun. Kaelyn imagined lying flat on her back and him sliding between her legs, pounding her, bringing pleasure for both of them. With a moan, Kaelyn spread her legs and slid a hand between her thighs, then flinched as she pushed two fingers inside, stroking her pussy the way her lover would have. The vision became so real more moans slipped from her lips as she masturbated, increasing the rhythm.
“Yes, that’s it, baby… just like that… just like that,” she murmured and within minutes her body was throbbing. Spreading her legs even wider, Kaelyn plunged her fingers even deeper. An orgasm was so close she could feel it. With her right hand she reached over to her nightstand, pulled out the top drawer, then fished around until she felt what she was looking for beneath her fingers.
Her silver bullet.
She turned on the power, causing it to vibrate then brought the small egg-shaped device up along her wet folds and pressed it against her clit. “Oh yeah,” she flinched then rubbed it across her entire pussy before bringing it to her nub again. And as soon as she applied a little more pressure to her clit, an orgasm took over. A loud wail ripped from her lips that had her bucking wildly on the bed. Her body rocked , shook, then she collapsed on the bed and released a long sigh. While her breathing slowed, Kaelyn thought about those dark eyes staring up onto the stage and shivered. She just wished she’d had a chance to talk to him and hear his voice she was certain sounded as sexy as the man who was just on the phone.
Her eyes sprang open and Kaelyn jackknifed into a sitting position on the bed. She had less than an hour to get herself together before her mystery man arrived.
She couldn’t wait to see his face.
* * *
He was hard as a fucking rock.
Ashton urged his pulse to slow down. The woman on the other end of the phone had sounded downright delectable. He shook his head. Two days in a row and he had a serious hard-on by the sight and sound of a woman. It was becoming apparent he had gone without sex for far too long.
He looked down at the delivery sheet. He was headed to the west side of town to deliver a stove, then he would stop by KL Chambers house on the way back to the store. After that he would drop by the hospital to see the new addition to the Kilmer family.
After eleven hours of labor, Christina Raye Kilmer had been born. His brother Roy had sounded so tired when he called him this morning that there was no way Ashton could have said no to the favor his brother asked—handle the store’s deliveries.
Roy ran Kilmer Appliances, a store that had been in their family for several generations. Recently, they made the decision to relocate into the thriving new shopping district of Sheraton Beach. While Ashton decided to follow his own dream, his brother stepped into their father’s shoes and had taken over the family business. Roy was passionate about the store and its loyal customers.
After Ashton sped away from Spanky’s, he found his brother out delivering a washer and dryer in Rehoboth Beach. No sooner than he arrived, Ashton sent Roy off in his Jeep Wrangler to the hospital while he stayed behind to finish the installation at the couple’s home. Ashton knew the appliance business just like his brother. Only his passion had always been selling cars. After graduating with a degree in business, Ashton opened Platinum Pre-Owned Automotive, which was now the largest pre-owned luxury car dealership in the state.
Thirty minutes later, Ashton finished installing the stove, and climbed back in the truck, heading toward the shore. The road stretched ahead of him through the dense green hills surrounding the small town. In the distance, at the highest elevation, was the Beaumont Hotel. The luxurious five-star resort, one of a worldwide chain, offered guests every amenity possible. It was also the largest employer in Sheraton Beach, providing generous revenue to the community. The local family had been customers of Kilmer Appliances for several decades.
Ashton turned onto a winding road, around a cliff where the waves caressed the strip of sandy beach. To his right, he spotted a couple holding hands as they strolled together out onto the pier along the shore with a little girl frolicking in the water a few feet ahead. At the sight, he felt a tug at his heart. He often wondered if his marriage had weathered the storm, would they have a daughter about that age right now, then he decided why waste time thinking about something that just wasn’t meant to be.
Ashton inhaled the salt-scented ocean breeze then made a turn at the stop sign and obeyed the thirty mile an hour speed limit. There was no denying it. He wanted what his brother had with Lacey—a wife to come home to, and now a child. Roy had met Lacey online and from the first date he knew she was the one for him. Ashton had tried internet dating but it had been one disaster after another until he finally cancelled his online account and decided to stick to meeting women the old fashioned way. Not that things ever got any better.
Maybe I’m cursed, he wondered with a scowl.
Already thirty, if his love life didn’t change soon then he would just settle for enjoying his future nieces and nephews like they were his own. One thing for sure, he wasn’t settling for just anyone. He wanted to feel an attraction as powerful as the one he had felt last night… and again to the sultry voice that was on the other end of the phone. In fact, he got another hard-on just thinking about it.
As he slowed at the corner, Ashton glanced down at the clipboard to make sure he had the correct address. The delivery was in an area with small quaint cottages, looking down onto the sandy beaches. While he drove, he thought about his conversation with Ms. Chambers and remembered her soft laughter. It was a musical sound that was something he wasn’t likely to forget for a long time. And then his imagination went wild with wickedly tantalizing images of walking into her house to find her lying naked on the bed, sprawled out for him to do as he pleased. Desire bloomed in his stomach so instant, he groaned.
Anxious to reach his destination, Ashton pushed his foot down on the gas.
Chapter Three
Kaelyn took a shower and changed into a halter top and white shorts. Padding barefoot across Berber carpet, she reached for the camera off her dresser drawer and took a seat on the end of the bed. As she scrolled through photographs she had taken at a commercial photo shoot the morning before, her lips curled into a satisfied smile. She’d done a fabulous job of focusing on shadows, angles, and sensual backgrounds.
As a professional photographer, published in various magazines, she was at the top of her game, and was generously compensated for her talent. Recently she had been contracted by Sensual Designs. The company specialized in high quality original cover designs for authors. Kaelyn had hired twelve models, five male and seven female, for the photo shoot, and then booked one of the penthouse suites at the Beaumont Hotel for the intimate shots. After a long seven-hour day, the end results were sensational. As soon as she finished editing the photographs, she would email them to the CEO for approval. Her photos had the potential of gracing the covers of numerous best-selling authors’ books from around the country. She was giddy over the idea of stepping into the grocery store and seeing one of her original poses on a paperback.
Kaelyn put the camera aside, rose, stretched, and then padded through the small cottage, admiring the white walls she recently had
painted. Tomorrow Mackenzie was planning to come over for margaritas while they hung framed samples of her work on the bare walls. New wood flooring would be her next renovation project, and finally a small photography studio she hoped to have constructed out back next spring. For now she was using one of the two bedrooms as her office.
As her eyes traveled around the house in admiration, Kaelyn thought about all the years she spent dreaming of finding a house near the beach and when Mackenzie contacted her last year about a short sale, Kaelyn had an agent put in the offer. Once the bank accepted her terms, she packed up her cramped downtown condominium, said goodbye to Chicago, and moved to Delaware. Her mother had yet to forgive her for leaving their hometown, but Kaelyn knew a lot of it had to do with Joyce Robinson being fearful of her only child stepping out into the big bad world all by herself. The fact that her former college classmate not only lived in Sheraton Beach all her life, and even reassured her mother the city was one of the safest in the country, still wasn’t convincing enough. Kaelyn released a heavy sigh. Her mother was definitely a piece of work, but she had been raised by a single parent and wouldn’t have traded her for anything in the world.
Kaelyn stepped across the aging linoleum into the kitchen and decided to make herself a cup of coffee. While she waited for the pot to brew her favorite Starbucks blend, she leaned against the counter with her arms crossed, listening to seagulls high in the clear blue sky outside. It was going to be another beautiful day at the beach.
By the time the coffee was ready, she heard gravel kicking up in the driveway, followed by the rumble of an old truck. With nervous bubbles stirring around in her stomach, Kaelyn made her way down the hall to the front door. She then waited until she heard heavy footsteps coming onto her wooden porch, before she swung open the door.
“Good mor—” The rest of her greeting died as the man’s head slowly lifted, and she felt a jolt of recognition as she gazed into an arresting pair of eyes so familiar, her mouth rounded to an O.
She couldn’t believe it.
It was him! The man who’d haunted her dreams all night.
He looked up from a clipboard and studied her for a long moment, his chocolate eyes probing, while his lips curled into a slow wicked smile. She swallowed, and felt a tingle of nervousness that was quickly replaced with desire. Gawd, he was gorgeous!
“Good morning.” There was that slow, sexy voice again.
She just stared at him. She had no idea what to say. But that didn’t stop her from creaming her panties.
Well over six feet tall, her deliveryman was bronzed and gorgeous—just the way she liked it. Up close and personal her previous assessment had been right on point, his sculpted body was clearly the product of hard work. His hair was cut low, outlining the shape of his head, and there was that rough stubble along his angular jaw that was oh so sexy. A diamond stud pierced one ear, and his eyes were a dark, intense brown. Damn, he was hot! The cutie was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and a clipboard was dangling in one hand. Towering over her, he looked dangerous and scrumptious like the kind of man who rode around on a motorcycle. And the kind her mother warned her to stay the hell away from.
“You’re the songbird from last night? Lynn, right?” he said with a flirtatious smirk.
“You know my name,” she said, clearing her throat, fighting the hot blush to her cheeks. “And you were sitting at the bar talking to Mackenzie.”
His voice suddenly lowered enticingly as he said with his lips curved slightly, “So you noticed?”
Who could miss him? He had a look about him that demanded attention and his voice held a hint of arrogance that she found masculine and oh so sexy. Biting her lip, Kaelyn simply nodded and replied, “I don’t forget a face.”
“And I never forget a beautiful woman.” He crooked his brow at her, amused, taking her in from head to toe, and never before had a man made her feel so exposed… so aroused in all kinds of naughty places.
Fighting to regain her composure, she murmured, “Small world.”
His gaze slowly returned to her face with a hint of a smile on his lips. “No..., small town,” he corrected and then chuckled. “Practically everyone in Sheraton Beach knows each other. By the way, I’m Ashton Ray Kilmer,” he added and shifted the clipboard, freeing his hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Kaelyn looked down, hesitated, then accepted his hand. The second their palms touched she felt a surge of heat radiate, causing her knees to become weak like a newborn colt. Ashton had her hot, bothered, and her tongue itching to lick every inch of his skin. Goodness how was it even possible? she wondered. They’d just met and her breasts were tingling, and were clearly hard and aroused, screaming, suck me! Nervously, Kaelyn wet her lips, and prayed Ashton hadn’t noticed she wasn’t wearing a bra.
Moments passed, her heart hammering, and she wasn’t sure how long she stood there just staring, etching his handsome face to memory when she heard Ashton clear his throat, and say, “You bought a refrigerator, right?”
Her eyes shifted from his face to the Kilmer Appliances truck parked in the gravel driveway of her small cottage. “Oh, yes, of course!” Kaelyn nodded, dropped her hand and brought it to her side before she did something stupid like drag his head down to her mouth and kissed him breathless. “You’re here to deliver my refrigerator,” she said and groaned inward for sounding like a bubbling idiot.
There was a wolfish gleam in Ashton’s eyes as he leaned closer and replied, “Sweetheart, I can find a lot of other reasons to come and see you.”
Kaelyn eased back and sucked her breath in a nervous hitch as she felt the heat of his words. Ashton was studying her, gauging her reaction with a slow, lazy grin. She was on the verge of asking him what else he had in mind when she realized she was being bad.
Nothing wrong with a little harmless flirting. “Mackenzie should have warned me about you,” she purred.
“Yes, she should have,” he whispered and his sweet breath fanned her lips.
He was so sexy, Kaelyn wanted to jump his bones and work up a feverous frenzy that would soothe the taunting ache between her thighs. Goodness! Her body was out of control.
“Can I get you to verify I’m delivering the correct item?” he murmured. His lips were close and she wanted to kiss him so badly, her lips tingled. Again, his mouth also had her wondering what it would feel like licking at her pussy. Her imagination assured her he knew how to use that tongue and his head buried between her legs would be worth every second. Slamming on the brakes, Kaelyn tried ridding herself of the crazy dream she had last night of the two of them fucking. But it was useless. A dream like that was just too good to forget.
Hands shaking, she stared down at the invoice on the clipboard and nodded. “Yes, that’s me.” She then made the mistake of meeting his stare. As soon as their eyes connected, Kaelyn sucked in one slow breath after another when she noticed everything she was thinking… and feeling… was lurking in the depths of his eyes. Attraction. Lust.
Ashton wanted her.
And she wanted him, too.
In her bed, lying on top of her, fucking and sucking, reminding her she was a beautiful, sexy woman.
Kaelyn swallowed hard. Damn, she felt like a slut. Ashton was sexy and probably all wrong for her. Yet, she didn’t care. She hadn’t had an orgasm since her split with Tip, and after eight months, she was horny as hell.
She’d relocated to Delaware for a new life, a fresh start, and a few brief sexual encounters, and she was certain the man standing on her porch would make every second quite satisfying.
“Just bring it through the front door,” she replied after clearing her throat.
“No problem. I’ll be right back,” Ashton said flashing another grin, then stepped off the porch and moved toward the truck.
Kaelyn stood leaning against the doorjamb, watching Ashton walk back to his vehicle, graceful, powerful like a cat, with wide shoulders swaying just a bit with each step. The faded blue jeans outlined a nice ass and eve
ry muscle in his large legs.
Yep, she definitely wanted some of that.
As soon as Ashton stepped into the bed of the truck, out of sight, Kaelyn made a mad dash into the kitchen. Food. The yummy man was expecting breakfast.
And she planned to give it to him.
And a whole lot more, if he was willing and able. Her mind was already filled with thoughts of giving him something that had her pussy pulsing with anticipation.
Breathing heavily, Kaelyn moved over to the sink, reached for the soap and stuck her hands under the spray of cold water, hoping it would help cool her mind. She was having erotic fantasies about a total stranger. Well, he wasn’t a complete stranger. Mackenzie knew him, and any friend of Mackenzie’s was a friend of hers. Although friend was the last thing she thought about when it came to Ashton Ray Kilmer. He was gorgeous and downright dangerous looking. Everything that made him wrong also made him right. Mr. Right Now. She needed sex and someone like him was definitely what the doctor ordered. No entanglements, no messy emotional involvements. Just sex with no strings attached. And Kaelyn was certain Ashton had no problems in that department. He oozed with confidence and raw animal magnetism. And he didn’t appear at all the long-term type, which would make him perfect. So perfect she ached to take photographs of him. Shadows, black and white, and a sexy man, it could be one explosive combination.
Stepping over to the picnic cooler, she removed a package of bacon and carried it to the stainless-steel gas stove. She was certain anything with a man that fine would be worth every second. The only problem was she had a nasty habit of jumping into things without thinking them through. And she saw where that had gotten her. Heartache. Months of sleepless nights. As she lined the large skillet with strips of bacon, Kaelyn groaned as thoughts of her ex-boyfriend surfaced. Bastard.
Time For Pleasure Page 2
