CHAPTER NINE
MALLORY ANSWERED the door quickly, greeting him with an easy smile. “Hi, there.”
“Hi, yourself.” She’d left him hanging this afternoon with a skimpy piece of her bathing suit and a provocative invitation for tonight.
It hadn’t been enough. He’d been a man deprived and he drank in the sight of her now.
She’d prepared for the beach.
He’d like to think she’d prepared for him.
Her top, if he could call it that, was the match for the bikini bottoms in his pocket. Two triangles, aqua in color and rimmed with white piping didn’t quite cover her breasts and exposed more than a hint of soft flesh and cleavage. Whatever he’d envisioned, reality was sweeter. His mouth watered at the luscious view and his gaze traveled downward.
A matching scarf, knotted at one hip, tied around her waist, and ended midthigh. He had no clue what she wore beneath the blue sarong and the thought of her wearing no panties, no bottoms, nothing at all, made him crazy with curiosity and insane with longing. No doubt that had been her intent. As if she could read his thoughts, a provocative smile lifted the corner of her mouth.
She was making him pay for his caveman routine and he loved every minute.
She leaned against the doorframe, one arm propped against the wooden molding, her head tipped so that black curls fell over one shoulder. “You’re prompt. I like that in a man.”
Deliberately seductive and playful at the same time, she made him want to pull her into his arms and kiss her until neither one of them could think or breathe. “What else do you like?”
“Come on in and find out.” She turned and sashayed inside, leaving him to follow. At this moment he’d go anywhere she led him and wasn’t ashamed to admit it.
His gaze surveyed her barefooted retreat and the sultry sway of her hips beneath the blue skirt. She passed through the living room area they’d dined in before and continued into a short hallway. He wondered at her final destination and decided he enjoyed this kind of mystery and suspense.
“We’re here.” She paused at the entrance to the last door at the end.
He stopped inches away. Her skin glowed from time in the sun, and a light flush on her cheeks told him she was just as affected by this scenario as he was.
“You need to take off your shoes,” she said.
He met her amused stare. “Because…?”
“Because we’re going to the beach and you don’t want to get sand in your shoes. Come on, Jack.” She drawled out his name in a husky purr. “Use your imagination.”
He reached out and fingered the hem on her makeshift skirt. “Trust me, sweetheart, my imagination’s working just fine.”
So were other strategic body parts. Wondering what the hell she had on beneath the short skirt would keep him erect all evening. He wondered how far she’d take this invitation and knew he couldn’t wait to find out.
Her flush turned into a full-fledged blush. The blush intrigued him most of all. Although she toyed with him deliberately, he knew now the seductive charm and come-hither games didn’t come easily to her. He sensed, too, that she didn’t play like this often. Instead of sending him running, the possibility drew him deeper.
Jack had never been into too-innocent women, if only because they tended to expect too much in the end. But Mallory was different. She was provocative in a sultry, sexy way that turned him on and made him want to explore those uncharted waters. But she was also an independent, gutsy woman who wouldn’t demand all from a man and give nothing in return.
She understood business, and he sensed she understood him, too. His heart pounded harder in his chest.
He slipped off his sneakers. “Lead the way.”
She pushed open the door and he stepped inside. The scent of coconut hit him first, a warm fragrant aroma that reminded him of summers at the beach. He noticed the temperature next, a concentrated rise in heat from neon lights set up in the corner. Blow-up palm trees nestled around all four corners of the bed. And the sliding glass door leading to the beach had been opened, allowing a soft, humid breeze to drift inside.
“You like?” The hesitancy in her voice was clear. She’d obviously gone to a lot of thought and effort to set up this fantasy. Jack knew this had ceased being about teaching him a lesson and had become more about giving pleasure.
No woman other than Mallory had ever gone out of her way to do something for him. That she cared enough, was interested enough to bring illusion to life would tie him up in knots if he let it.
He’d rather just enjoy.
He reached out and grabbed for her hand. “I like.”
Her soft fingers wrapped around his. “That’s a good start. We could have sat outside but I thought we’d want a little more privacy, so I created our own beach.” Husky undertones infused her voice with warmth and desire. “I figured we could hang out in here.” She paused deliberately. “At least until dark.”
She pulled him toward the bed and when she settled herself on the mattress and curled both knees to one side, Jack nearly died wondering if she’d reveal anything he so longed to see.
She followed the direction of his gaze and laughed. “You’re naughty, you know that? Did you bring my bottoms?”
“Right here.” He patted the front pocket of his swimsuit, which had grown increasingly tight.
Her gaze widened as she took in the obvious bulge in his shorts. The soft skin on her neck rose and fell as she swallowed hard. “If you behave maybe I’ll let you see them on me.”
A wicked gleam flickered in Jack’s heated stare. “I’d rather see them off.”
“What makes you think you aren’t? Seeing them off me I mean?” She stood and made a provocative show of wiggling her behind. Used to frilly panties, the sensation of bare skin against cooler material felt wickedly decadent and erotic. She settled herself back on the bed.
He eased himself beside her. “You aren’t daring me to check, are you?” His fingers inched towards her.
“And ruin the element of mystery and surprise? Not a chance.” She playfully slapped his hand. “But you can get us ready for our swim.” She grabbed the bottle of massage oil from the nightstand and handed it to him. “Do my back.”
“It’s nighttime.”
She grinned. “And I thought we were using our imaginations. I wouldn’t mind a little help getting the hard to reach spots.” She stretched her legs out in front of her and wiggled her toes.
His eyes darkened as he accepted the bottle. “Do I get to call the spots?”
His hands on his choice of her body parts. A tremor of awareness shot through her veins. “If you think you can handle it.”
He reached down and pulled at the hem of his T-shirt, lifting it up and over his head. “I assure you I can.” His eyes bore into hers. “The question is can you?”
She stared at his broad chest, darkened from the summer sun and roughened with a sprinkling of dark hair. The man gave new meaning to the word sexy, she thought.
She managed a grin. “You know better than to throw a challenge my way.” She pulled her hair to one side and stretched out farther onto the bed. “Where do you want to start?”
She met his gaze, saw his eyes darkening. Then he opened the top of the bottle and poured a liberal amount of scented oil onto his palm.
“I’d like to start at the bottom and work my way up. But I also believe in saving the best for last, so roll onto your stomach and we’ll begin with your back.”
“Mmm. I can get into that.” She sighed and rolled over, resting her chin on her hands. A back rub might help relax some of her tension and nerves and eliminate lingering insecurities that remained.
And then he straddled her back. Insecurities and most other thoughts fled. Though his weight was braced on his knees, the pressure of his firm backside and groin against her hips wouldn’t be denied. An erotic tingling suffused her body and a throbbing beat of anticipation took hold.
Relax? She should have known better. This was foreplay. A distinct tremor rippled through her.
“You doing okay?” he asked.
“Great.”
“Then let’s begin.” His voice came out a low rumble and then warm, hot hands touched her back, branding her skin.
He began a slow lubrication of her shoulders, smoothing his palms over her upper back and down her arms with practiced ease. Gentle pressure alternated with harder thrusts, giving her the massage she’d desired while covering her body with oil. The distinctive scent of coconut assaulted her, wrapping her in a heated cocoon of warmth and desire.
She searched her mind for conversation, something to break the awareness and allow her some control. “This feels wonderful,” she said instead.
So much for control. But she admitted, she didn’t want anything mundane to interrupt the heady sensations he was stirring inside her.
“That’s the point.” His deep laugh reverberated against her. He didn’t stop his gentle ministrations as he spoke. “Listen to the crashing waves. I rent a beach house for two weeks at the end of every summer. You can’t beat the relaxation or solitude.”
She had to agree. The ebb and flow of the tide sounded much like the rushing of blood in her veins, soothing yet arousing at the same time. “A beach house of your own and you haven’t made time for skinny-dipping?”
“No more than you’ve made time for vacations, I bet.”
“Unfortunately I can’t afford the time off.” His fingers rounded her shoulders and moved up her neck. He hit the spots that held the most tension and as her muscles relaxed, her awareness rose.
“You could if you wanted to.” He leaned forward. All heat and hard male body, he trapped her between him and the mattress. “You could if you put yourself first. Before that all-consuming need to impress people whose love should be given unconditionally.”
His implication was clear. Her drive for partnership was for the wrong reasons.
“Besides, you know what they say about all work and no play,” he said before she could respond. His voice sounded close and his breath fanned her ear. Her nipples hardened in response, pressing against the bed.
She swallowed a moan. “All work and no play,” she murmured. “It makes Mallory a partner one day.” But right now the dream that had sustained her most of her life seemed distant and far away. Unimportant in comparison to the sensual feelings rioting through her.
Unimportant compared to being with Jack.
She’d begun to suspect he had valid points about her reasons for pushing so hard for partnership and losing her sense of self. But no way she’d waste a minute of her precious time with him dissecting her possible mistakes. She had the rest of her life to do that. She’d rather enjoy now.
He sat up and suddenly she felt a tugging on the back tie of her bathing suit.
“Jack…” Warning laced her voice.
“Relax.”
“He says as he pulls off my top.”
He laughed. “I just untied it.” His fingertip traced the line where her bathing suit had been and she arched her back in response.
God, the man was good. If he could arouse her with simple words and innocent touches against her skin, heaven help her when the real sexual play began.
“But I haven’t pulled it off. Yet.” His warm palms pressed hard against her back. His hands wrapped around her ribs and sides, his fingertips inching toward her swollen breasts that ached for his firm touch.
She let out a small whimper, and when he eased her from her stomach onto her back, she rolled willingly and gazed into his eyes. The top string of her bathing suit remained tied, but the material slipped revealing her to his gaze.
His expression, darkened with need and desire, met her stare. She swallowed hard as she wondered what erogenous zone he’d touch next. So far every part of her body had turned into a mass of writhing need beneath his hands.
Without breaking eye contact, he pulled her to a sitting position, reached for the bikini top and drew it over her head. She fought the urge to cover herself and was rewarded by the clench of his jaw and a low, guttural groan.
The knowledge that he obviously liked what he saw eased her embarrassment enough to let her get playful again. “I thought we were getting ready for the sun,” she said, reminding him to use his imagination.
“And I hoped you could teach me the fine art of skinny-dipping. Seeing as how you’re a pro and all.” One side of his mouth lifted in a charming grin she’d bet had devastated more women than she could count on both hands.
Her heart leapt to her throat. “It’s something to consider. Later.”
“Okay then in the meantime, I don’t want to miss any sensitive areas.”
He poured some more oil into his palms and rubbed them together. “I’m warming them,” he explained, in answer to her questioning look.
Mallory couldn’t draw her stare from the sight of his large hands or her thoughts from the hope that he would use them to cover her breasts and satisfy the desire aching inside her.
“Come here.” He crooked his finger at her.
Mesmerized by the husky gravel in his voice and the lure of his touch, she moved forward on the bed and settled in front of him, seated on her knees.
He mimicked her position. Thanks to his greater height, he seemed to tower over her. Anticipation rose within her but Jack did nothing to rush his movements or put an end to her expectation.
Then slowly, his eyes never leaving hers, he leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss. His mouth was warm and hot, giving but intense. He devoured her with nibbles and slow licks of his tongue. And just when she thought she was lost in him, those hot hands cupped her waiting breasts.
The unexpected touch sent a jolt of sensation to her core and she moaned. She would normally have been mortified, but his reaction obliterated all rational thought. He deepened the kiss, making love to her with his mouth while his hands began an exploration all their own. He squeezed gently with the edge of his fingers while pressing insistently against her nipples with his splayed palm. She grabbed hold of his hips to anchor herself against the dizzying, spiraling waves of need.
She couldn’t say who broke the kiss first. She was shaking with need and desire and shock. She’d never been so wanton or responded to a man with the intensity with which she responded to Jack. The knowledge gave her pause and she scooted back to the headboard, seeking space.
His eyes were glazed and unfocused, much like hers, she assumed since he looked as shaken as she felt. Silence pulsed between them.
Mallory leaned back against a bank of throw pillows. She glanced around for a covering for her exposed skin, but found nothing within reach. She settled for closing her eyes against the sight and feeling of being raw and exposed.
But all she saw beneath shut eyelids was Jack, rubbing his hands together and her imagination conjured the feel of his slickened palms against her still tingling, still wanting flesh.
“I haven’t finished protecting you from the sun.”
At the sound of his husky voice, she trembled. Shaken or not, when the man started a project, he apparently liked to finish. Something they had in common. Because she hadn’t finished wanting him.
“Then what are you waiting for?” Funny how she found bravery beneath closed eyes.
His hot fingers grabbed hold of her foot and began a slow, easy massage. He kneaded and rubbed, pressed and released, eliciting a torturous yet rapturous sensation at the same time. He coated her foot and calf with scented oil, pausing to relubricate his hands before doing the same to the other leg and then moving upward.
He’d only grasped her ankle yet the rest of her flesh burned. He built up the steady press and release rhythm anew, one her body seemed to recognize and mimic until the pulsing of her muscles found an answering vibration in areas he had yet to caress.
“I have to admit, you’ve got talent,” she said on a soft sigh, opening her eyes.
“You haven’t seen anything yet.” He met her gaze with a lingering look that felt more like a caress. His smile obviously meant to reassure.
His hands eased up from her knee to just above the hem of her skirt. When he touched skin, his eyes widened in surprise. “No bottoms.”
“Of course not. They’re in your pocket,” she said, treating him to what she hoped was a disarming grin and a teasing glint in her eyes. Bravado was all she had left to rely on. He’d seen and felt everything else. “You doubted me.”
“I doubted your nerve,” he conceded. His fingers swept in broad strokes across her femininity and her breath caught in her throat. “But I shouldn’t have.” His features darkened. “And if you want me to stop, I will. Just say the word.”
Jack’s hands closed around her thighs. He leaned over her, his dark head bowed so she looked directly into his compelling and intense gaze.
His thumb grazed tingling flesh that had been deprived for too long. He initiated long, smooth strokes that tantalized and teased, seduced and captivated.
“Stop?” She’d die if he did.
The delicious movement of his fingertips paused. His dark eyes questioned. And Mallory feared she’d broken the spell and she’d never feel the culmination of his fervent ministrations.
She licked her lips, coating the dry skin. “That was a rhetorical question.” In fact she was more afraid of him stopping than of him taking the next step.
Relief washed over his handsome features, but he didn’t say a word, just reached for the bottle once more. He poured a quarter-sized amount of liquid into his hand. “The sun can be deadly to skin that’s not used to the harsh rays.”
“So I’ve heard.” Her heart began to pound hard and fast, but somehow she managed a smile. One meant to reassure him she wanted everything and anything he planned.
His grin was nothing short of intoxicating as he parted the scarf she’d tied around her waist earlier and slipped his hands beneath the material. “In fact, I’d better make sure I coat every inch.” His entire palm cupped her thigh so his fingertips merely grazed her private folds.
The tingling she’d felt earlier turned into a full-fledged blaze. A teasing hint of what was to come, and her hips jerked upward of their own volition. “I…” She realized the sound came out more a moan than a coherent word. “I’m burning now.”
“But you’re burning from me, not the sun.” His slick fingers met her waiting flesh.
Dizzying sensations assaulted her as hot, coated strokes of his fingertips parted and caressed. She moaned as he kneaded her in exactly the right place. The moan turned her into a wild woman, her hips bucking against his hand.
Jack muttered a soft curse. Sweet heaven. And that’s where he was, in heaven, with a woman more responsive, more open and giving than any he’d known. Dampness coated his hand and despite the slick oil, he knew he’d found her essence. His own body throbbed but he couldn’t relieve his or her passion that way. No matter how much he wanted to.
No matter how much he wanted her.
Because this romp on the beach had taught him something about himself. He could lose himself in this woman. After all he’d seen in his jaded youth, life and career, there was no way he could allow it. But he could enjoy her warmth and heat and revel in giving her pleasure with no threat to himself.
He glanced down at her delicate features. Her eyes were shut tight, her face alight with passion. He was in control of her emotions and her release. And that’s all that mattered.
Each movement and caress of his hand elicited a new response. Enthralled by the pure rapture and need he saw on her face, the temptation to prolong his exquisite torture was appealing. But not at her expense and though she was obviously enjoying it, he’d also brought her too close, too fast.
He did the only thing he could. He eased his finger inside her hot, moist body. She shook and convulsed around him, and then her body squeezed his finger tight, gripping him in damp heat and complete ecstasy.
He stretched out beside her. With his free hand, he smoothed long strands of hair off her face. “Look at me.”
Her velvet blue eyes opened wide and she met his gaze with an imploring one of her own. He shifted his hand. Without withdrawing his finger, he cupped her entire mound in his palm and rotated with gentle pressure.
“Jack.” Her eyelids opened wide as she breathed his name.
“I’m here.” His thumb moved in small circles until her breathing came in shallow labored gasps.
He’d found the right spot, the one that made her wild. The one that made her his. Maintaining a steady rhythm and keeping a slickened finger inside her body, he edged her closer and closer to the precipice.
“Go with it, sweetheart.” He urged her on with his words and his calculated movements until her climax hit fast and furious.
He felt the shudders wracking her body, relentless in intensity and just as he thought she was coming down off the crest, he pressed his palm one last time against the juncture of her thighs. She let out a sound that was a groan of utter pleasure and surrender.
Jesus, she was hot and wild and her uninhibited moan rocked the foundation of his world. He’d give almost anything to experience the same moment inside her body.
Almost. Because after the intense reactions they’d both experienced with just a kiss, if he made love to Mallory, Jack feared neither one of them would find their way back to a sane, solitary life.
Her spasms stopped as quickly as they’d come and he found himself gazing into her sated deep blue eyes. Minutes passed in silence. Finally, when her labored breathing reached a normal rate, she spoke.
“You give new meaning to protection from the sun.”
He was glad she’d taken things lightly. After the intimate moments in this bedroom, he feared she’d get too serious.
Then he laughed wryly. Perhaps he was at risk of losing himself to this woman who’d begun to trust him with her most personal demons and secrets, but he couldn’t say she felt the same. At least she hadn’t been in control of herself seconds earlier, he thought smugly.
“Wipe that self-satisfied grin off your face before I’m forced to take drastic action.” She pulled her skirt down and pushed herself to a sitting position, hugging her knees against her exposed breasts. All without meeting his gaze.
So she wasn’t the woman of the world she wanted him to think she was. The thought gave Jack immense pleasure. Not that he had any delusions that he was her first anything, but he could tell from the shy way she cast her eyes from him and the becoming flush on her cheeks that Mallory wasn’t overly experienced in dealing with things afterward. She was most definitely the enigma he’d painted her as, with more intriguing facets revealing themselves to him as time passed.
He reached for her bathing suit top and draped it over her head. Gratitude filled her gaze, warming him, caressing him in her essence. He swiveled her to the side and retied the open strings of the bikini at her back.
All without sound or roaming hands. No matter how much he desired to leave her bared to his gaze, she’d obviously be more comfortable covered. And her comfort mattered more to him than a lingering glance at her bare breasts or an extra stroke with his hands. Being with Mallory was hot and electric, but it was more than a casual sexual encounter he’d leave behind in the morning and forget by the next day.
Jack wasn’t stupid and knew there was an important subliminal message in his feelings regarding this affair, but he chose not to heed it. Affair being the operative term, a brief interlude where they could both indulge their sensual natures.
He shifted positions so he moved back in front of her again.
“Thank you.” Emotion flickered in her gaze.
He flashed her a charming, light grin. “You’re welcome.” He cupped her chin in his hand and brushed his thumb over her silken skin. “The whole point was to give you pleasure.”
She laughed. “You know I meant thank you for the bathing suit, not thank you for the…” A red-hot blush stained her cheeks and she shook her head. “Never mind that. But the whole point was to entice you.”
“And you did it very well. In a very unique way.”
She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. Every woman in the office wants to entice you. I’m not a Terminator groupie. But you challenged me and I just wanted…” Her voice trailed off, and he got the distinct impression she figured, why bother explaining.
But he desired an explanation. Badly. He knew women were drawn to him, but he never took the attention seriously. He figured they liked a challenge and a partner-challenge made him even more of a catch in their eyes. He tended to ignore both the gossip and the interest. But Mallory was different and he never wanted her to feel grouped with a bunch of women whose notice he neither encouraged nor wanted.
He bent closer. So close he could brush his lips over hers, and without thought, he did. She leaned into him, softening her mouth against his and he accepted her encouragement, drawing her into a moist kiss, more meaningful and less urgent than before. Then he pulled back. “You wanted to what?” he asked softly.
Her lashes fluttered upward. “To show you what it’s like to be an optimist, like we discussed the other day on the beach. To give you something to dream about when our time together is over.” Wide eyes stared up at him, drawing him in with her honesty and sweetness.
“You wanted me to dream about you.”
She inclined her head in a slight nod. “The same way I’ve dreamed about you,” she admitted.
He was flattered, but realized he didn’t like the end of their relationship being discussed aloud. Especially coming from her luscious, well-kissed lips. Even if she was right and an end was inevitable.
He leaned back, his chin resting on his knees as he studied her flushed face. “I’ll dream about you, Mallory. In ways I’ve never dreamed about anyone else.”
She met and held his gaze. Warmth and bonding bounced between them before she shook her head and broke the spell. She smiled. “Why don’t you hand over the oil and let me give you more for the memory books?” Her lips turned upward into a wicked grin. “You’re not the only one who can satisfy.”