CHAPTER FOUR
“Make a left here at the light, and you can park by the back entrance where the guard is.”
Following Kerri’s directions, Ian pulled into a slot next to Dan’s vehicle. Before turning off the ignition, he glanced at the clock glowing on his light display to gauge the time. It was 9:35 p.m. Twenty-five minutes before Kerri had to be on the air.
Unbuckling his seat belt, he turned toward his date. He rested his forearm on the back of her seat. Within touching distance, but he refrained from indulging in that luxury for now. The outside streetlight illuminated her profile and added shimmering golden highlights to her silky-looking hair. After how well their evening had gone at the restaurant, she now seemed reserved and quiet—so unlike her bold, sassy, on-the-air persona.
“Did you have a good time tonight?” he asked.
She smiled at him as she absently stroked a rose petal from the bouquet resting in her lap. “Yeah, I did.” Her tone was candid and honest.
Relief unraveled the tightness and uncertainty that had gathered in his chest. “I’m glad, because so did I.”
Their date had been without pretense. Whether she realized it or not, he’d given her more than he’d offered another woman in eight long years—a glimpse of the down-to-earth man he was beneath the wealthy exterior. And it had felt great to just be himself and truly enjoy the company of a beautiful, fun woman.
A tapping on Kerri’s window made her jump in her seat. Pressing a hand to her heart, she glanced to the right and found the guard standing there. Ian rolled the window down a few inches for her.
“You okay, Kerri?” the middle-aged man asked gruffly, narrowing his gaze at Ian in a very protective manner.
“I’m fine, thanks, John,” Kerri assured the guard. “This is Ian Carlisle.”
John eyed Ian again. Deciding that Ian wasn’t a threat, John gave a nod of acceptance, then went back to his post by the back door of the building.
Ian sealed the window closed again, and Kerri released a long, slow breath. “Umm, maybe we should go inside.”
“Not just yet,” he murmured, and brushed his fingers along the slope of her shoulder where the strap of her silk tank top gave way to smooth, tanned flesh. Much to his pleasure, he discovered her skin was just as soft as it looked.
He felt a shiver course through her and raise goose bumps on her arm. “John might—”
“John isn’t going to bother us again,” he assured her. “And he can’t see us, Kerri. The back and side windows are tinted, and we have a few minutes before you need to be inside.”
She gave him a sidelong glance, her gaze cautious. “Is there something you wanted to talk about?”
She was nervous, and he understood that. For as much as he wanted her, he wanted to do this right even more. “As a matter of fact, yeah, there is.”
Reaching down to her hip, he unbuckled her seat belt, knowing he was making it easy for her to flee, if that’s what she chose to do. She remained seated, but judging by the rapid rise and fall of her breasts and the taut nipples grazing the silk of her top, she was just as affected by their close proximity. The heat gathering inside the car had little to do with the outside weather.
He let his hand linger at her hip, and his thumb lightly caressed the slender indentation of her waist. “So, would you say that this constitutes the end of our date?”
She nodded, and touched her tongue to her upper lip—a nervous gesture, he realized. “Yes.”
Her voice was low and husky. Arousing him. Making him want her more than he already did. “How would you like the date to end, Kerri?”
A kiss or sex? The unspoken question swirled in the air, heightening the sexual tension arching between them.
An unexpected impish grin made an appearance. “Sex in this small car might be kind of difficult,” she teased.
“I can think of a dozen different things I could do to you in this small car,” he countered easily. “So don’t discount the possibility if that’s what you want.”
Her eyes widened in startled shock. “I was joking, Ian.”
He’d known that, but he’d been very serious, willing and able to give her anything she desired. “How about a kiss, then?”
She considered that for a few seconds. “Depends. Are we talking about the same kind of kiss you gave me when we met earlier?”
A chaste brush of his lips across the cheek. It had suited the purpose of a first meeting, but after craving her for a month, he wanted much, much more than that now. “No. That was a ‘hello’ kiss.”
“And this would be…?” she prompted curiously.
“‘I had a great time’ kiss,” he said, lifting his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, an excuse to keep touching her. “An ‘I like you’ kiss.” His finger traced the shell of her ear and found the soft, sensitive hollow beneath her lobe. “An ‘I want you’ kiss.”
Her eyes grew dark with velvet sensuality and a wanting that matched his own. “Wow, you can say all that with a kiss?” She sounded suitably impressed as well as doubtful.
He rose to the challenge. “Sure can.” He leaned forward until his side pressed against the center console. The rest was up to her. “C’mere and I’ll show you.”
Slowly, she shifted and obeyed his command, meeting him halfway, until their lips were mere inches apart. He caught the scent of mint on her breath and saw the anticipation etching her feminine features.
He threaded his fingers through her loose hair and slipped them around to the back of her head, wondering if she’d left her hair down for him because of his provocative comment from a few nights ago. There’s something incredibly erotic about having a woman’s hair wrapped around my hands and being able to hold her where I want her. Whether she had or not, he savored the silken feel of each strand wrapped around his fingers, caressing his hands.
He lowered his head for their first kiss, and watched her lashes flutter closed. “I had a great time,” he whispered, just before his mouth touched hers, downy-soft and fleeting. A kiss as sweet as the cotton-candy flavor slicked across her lips and filling his senses.
His fingers tightened in her hair as he tipped her chin up and angled her head to the side for better access. She sighed, relaxed and followed his lead.
“I like you…” he murmured. Advancing to the next level of intimacy, he increased the pressure of his mouth until her lips parted for him on their own accord, inviting him inside. As much as he ached to delve deeper, he kept a tight rein on his control, taking this one luxurious step at a time. She had a soft, sensuous mouth made expressly for kissing. He nibbled, suckled and flirted, leisurely exploring tastes and textures for the first time.
A frustrated sound rolled up in her throat, and she scooted closer and placed trembling, tentative fingers against his cheek. Her touch made him burn all the way down to the burgeoning erection straining the fly of his jeans. Giving her a little of what she wanted, he swept his tongue across her lush bottom lip, gradually escalating to the kind of kiss that would be as passionate and intense as their attraction. When she repeated the erotic gesture to him, undeniable need ripped through him.
“I want you,” he groaned, and unable to hold back any longer he finally unleashed his restraint. His lips covered hers in a kiss that was as passionate as it was possessive. His tongue stroked deeply, voluptuously, coaxing her to share in the wet heat they generated, revel in the soft flare of fire burning between them. She responded in a way he never could have anticipated, with a rapacious hunger beyond his wildest dreams. She clung to him, greedily returning the kiss and drawing his tongue into her mouth with shameless abandon.
Her enthusiasm thrilled him, and stole his sanity. Heart pumping furiously, he slid a hand downward to cup her rounded breast in his hand, then finessed the ripe, hardened tip through her bra with his thumb and finger. Her supple flesh swelled against his palm, the full, feminine weight a perfect, voluptuous fit. The velvet heat of his tongue stroked hers, deep and explicit, making him ache to taste and lave her elsewhere.
The guttural growl that erupted from him was an instinctive response, primitive and purely male. A warning for him to stop before they went further than either of them intended. Knowing they were damn close to doing those dozen different things in the car that he’d warned her about, he reluctantly dropped his hand from her breast and pulled back and ended the kiss.
She stared at him in utter astonishment, as if she couldn’t believe she’d let him take such liberties. As if she couldn’t believe she’d been so brazen in return. Her cheeks were flushed with the high color of excitement, and she seemed to struggle for each labored breath she took. But she gave no indication that she regretted the kiss, which gave him hope that there would be many more to enjoy.
He untangled his fingers from her hair and let his thumb skim along her silken jaw before falling away. Her skin was damp, from the humidity that found its way inside the car, and arousal, no doubt. “I take it by the way you kissed me back that you want me just as much?”
“Yeah, I guess I do,” she replied huskily, still seemingly dazed by what had just transpired between them. Slowly, she moved back to her side of the car. Her fingers fluttered to her wet lips, and she shook her head in amazement. “Wow, you’re a great kisser.”
She made it sound as though she’d kissed too many toads in her lifetime and had finally found a prince. Could that really be possible?
He couldn’t stop the pleased smile that tugged at his lips. “It’s not just me, Kerri, it’s us. We’re great together.”
She grinned wryly. “There’s no disputing that there’s plenty of sexual chemistry between us.”
“Oh, yeah,” he agreed. Explosive, erotic chemistry. His blood still rushed in hot rivulets through his veins, and his lower body was rock hard and clamoring for the kind of release he’d fantasized about since the first time he’d heard her voice on the radio.
And now that he knew what she looked like, now that he’d caressed her soft skin and tasted the incredible sweetness of her mouth, he had no desire to revert back to being just on-the-air acquaintances. She awakened feelings in him that had been buried for years and made him forget about those haunting aspects of his past that had consumed him for too long.
“I want to see you again,” he said abruptly.
Her eyes flashed uncertainties in the shadowed interior of the car, and she seemed to withdraw into herself. “Ian, I’m not looking for anything serious or complicated.” She glanced down at the flowers in her lap, studying them with too much interest before meeting his gaze again. Her chin rose a notch. “I’ve been there before, in a serious relationship, that is, and I’m just not ready to go there again. Right now, my career is my first and foremost priority.”
He appreciated her honesty, and was curious about that previous relationship she’d mentioned and how it had influenced her decision to remain single. Personal questions tumbled through his mind, but he knew now wasn’t the time or place to embark on a serious conversation. Nor was he especially keen on spilling his own past secrets. And how could he ask something of her when he wasn’t ready to reciprocate?
He needed more time with her. He wanted to give the undeniable attraction between them a chance to develop into something that went beyond their on-the-air association. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to appease the restless longing in his soul. In order to gain more time, he decided to cater to the doubts and the glimmer of vulnerability he detected in the depths of her eyes.
“You know,” he began easily, his deep voice reverberating in the interior of the car, “I don’t remember asking for anything serious or complicated.”
Amusement flitted across her beautiful, classic features, chased by a fair amount of interest. “What are you suggesting? An affair?”
She didn’t sound opposed to the idea, and his mind conjured images of the two of them together, their naked bodies tangled amid cool cotton sheets. Her arching beneath him, moaning in pleasure, her slender legs wrapped around his waist. Her sliding above him, straddling his hips and moving rhythmically as she coaxed him to the brink. Them soaring over the edge together in a powerful, shuddering climax.
That wild, seductive vision he dreamed of every night was the culmination of the mental fantasies they’d both participated in during their sizzling, on-air debates.
“If you think about it, we’ve been having an affair from the first call I made to the station. Maybe not physically,” he quickly clarified when her raised brows expressed her disbelief. “But most definitely here, in our minds, which is sometimes the best foreplay there is.” He brushed the tips of his fingers against her damp temple for emphasis.
A wicked, teasing smile made an appearance. “So, you want mind sex?”
“I want you, Kerri. Mind sex and all.” He’d established his desire for her with that scintillating embrace they’d just shared. However, he’d like to think that intimate kiss was just a prelude to satiating more provocative and erotic needs. “But for right now, I’d settle for another date. Without chaperones this time.” He deliberately posed his request as a comment rather than a direct, intimidating question.
She seemed to consider the idea for a moment, then cast a quick glance at her gold-toned wristwatch. “You know, we really ought to head upstairs before Carly and Dan start to worry about me.”
He accepted her diversion without argument. Considering her sudden reserve regarding them as a couple, he hadn’t been expecting an answer. Not yet, anyway. But he would.
He wasn’t done with Kerri McCree.
* * *
Instead of her normal quick jaunt up the flights of stairs leading to the radio station, Kerri rode the old, slow, creaky elevator with Ian up to the fifth floor. They stepped out of the stuffy lift, and he followed her down the hall to WTLK’s offices.
“Is it me after that steamy kiss in the car, or is it hot in here?” he asked from beside her, his mellow voice infused with a light, teasing quality.
Awareness quivered through Kerri, and her pulse quickened at Ian’s not-so-subtle reminder of their breathtaking kiss. The man was an irresistible rogue, which was part of his appeal, she had to admit. He was sexy, confident and altogether too tempting. And the combination was a lethal one that hit her dead-center in her sorely neglected libido, which had tingled to life at the first touch of his lips on hers.
She was still tingling, and she had no idea how she was going to survive tonight’s topic—orgasms—without having one of her own from all the sexual tension building within her. She supposed that would certainly make for scintillating talk radio.
“I’m thinking it’s probably a combination of both,” she returned just as sassily. She stopped at the vending machine to purchase herself a bottle of cold water to hopefully douse the burning sensation lingering in her belly.
He had a dollar bill out of his wallet and into the machine before she could dig money out of her purse. “Feeling a little overheated yourself?” he murmured seductively.
“Maybe,” she said, unwilling to admit just how turned on she still was and give him that bit of leverage over her. Not when they were minutes away from being on the air together. She feared he’d latch onto that awareness and turn the tables on her in front of her listeners. And she was determined to remain in control of tonight’s discussion about their date.
She pushed the button for her water, and the plastic bottle dropped to the bottom slot. She picked it up, turned around and found herself surrounded by two hundred solid pounds of pure male testosterone. Ian casually lifted a broad hand and braced his palm on the vending machine behind her, holding her hostage between firm muscle that was just as strong and unyielding as the metal behind her. And damned if she didn’t have the unbridled urge to rip his shirt off and test the resilience of his taut flesh with her fingers, taste the salt on his skin with her tongue, and experience the heady sensation of his bare chest rubbing against her breasts.
He leaned close, his warm breath wafting across her cheek. “You know, if you’re as hot as I am, there’s more than one way to extinguish the fire.” His voice was a husky purr, and as intimate as a lover’s caress.
She felt that amorous stroke all the way down her spine and whispering across her thighs—or was that the brush of his legs against hers causing all that wild static electricity? Whatever the cause, the arousing sensation elicited a very female response deep within her.
She shored her sensual defenses against this man, which wasn’t an easy task. “Water will do for now.”
He grinned wickedly, and her stomach dipped again. “Let me know if you change your mind.”
The hint of accepting another date with him was evident in his tone, but just like in the car, he didn’t pressure her for a reply and she was grateful. Her hormones were clamoring inside her, screaming at her to tell him yes. But despite her body’s restless response to Ian, deeper insecurities kept her firmly grounded.
Before she took that giant step with Ian, before she turned one date into two and allowed things between them to become any more intimate than they already had, she had to be certain that she could handle a fun, sexy, uncommitted affair with him. Mind sex. Carnal sex. Any way she looked at it, it would no doubt be great sex.
She swallowed hard at the tantalizing thought. In all honesty, she wasn’t certain she had the ability to separate physical pleasure from emotional need with Ian, and that’s what worried her. He only had to look at her and she melted inside. Her heart rate increased at the sound of his seductive voice. And she ached for him like she’d never ached for another man.
All warning signals she knew she’d be smart to heed.
She’d moved to Chicago to escape a dominating relationship and to start out fresh and new. To make better choices than her mother and sister had. To build her career as a DJ without her goals being sidetracked by a man—especially a gorgeous, virile man like Ian.
She was feeling torn, her desire for Ian clashing with the insecurities she thought she’d left behind in California. The weakness of wanting a man. The fear of getting so caught up in a relationship that it led to dependency and personal destruction.
The big question remained: could she enjoy the time with Ian and walk away in the end still independent and successful with her woman’s heart unscathed? She had no reassuring answer.
Inhaling a deep breath and ready to get down to the business end of their date, she slipped around Ian and opened the door that led into the radio station. He followed, and they were greeted with more humid warmth, which brought her mind back to Ian’s initial remark about the oppressive temperature in the building.
“I’m really sorry about the heat in here, but there’s not a lot we can do about it other than putting extra fans in the outer offices,” she said, thinking if she was lucky the heat would cut Ian’s visit to the station short and he’d be on his way before she launched into tonight’s actual topic of discussion. “The air-conditioning unit is old and temperamental, and after running all day it’s usually out of oomph by early evening.”
He glanced around at his surroundings as she led him to the back studios. “Is there a reason why it hasn’t been fixed or replaced?”
“Money, mostly. And approval from the owner. Can’t do it without either.”
He frowned, taking in the outdated office furnishings, the gray, dingy walls, and the linoleum floors that were cracked and peeling in places. “Why doesn’t the owner make sure his employees have a comfortable working environment?”
“Because she doesn’t want to have anything to do with the radio station and refuses to spend a penny on renovations.” Stopping at a small closet, she put her personal belongings on a shelf. “Marvin, the owner, passed away a few months ago and his widow inherited the station. Suffice to say that the employees’ comfort isn’t a high priority for Virginia.”
His dark brows furrowed in confusion. “Then why is she holding on to the station?”
“She isn’t. Not by choice, anyway. She’s eager to unload the business and recently put the station on the market,” she told him, and took a drink of her water. “Virginia would love to make a mint from the sale, so most of us are wondering if anyone will pay the inflated price she’s asking, or if WTLK is facing eventual bankruptcy from her sucking the business dry because no one’s interested in purchasing a run-down station.”
He braced his hands on his hips as his critical gaze scoured the area. “I don’t know, I see lots of potential.”
She smiled at his optimism. “Sure, if you’re willing to dump a good amount of money into repairs and upgrades.”
He tipped his head. “Is the station in that bad of shape?”
It was, in comparison to other local stations that had the kind of money to back up huge promotions and advertising. WTLK wasn’t the most luxurious station she’d ever worked for, but the atmosphere was casual and fun, and her co-workers were like family. She hated the thought of all of them going their separate ways.
“WTLK is holding its own, and we’ve had a few good hits with advertisers lately, which helps.” She wasn’t about to enlighten Ian to the fact that he was partially responsible for the increase in their on-air advertising. “But there’s no telling how the sale of the station will affect our jobs. If it even sells.”
Not wanting to launch into a discussion about her possible unemployment, she motioned him farther down the hall, to a four-by-four plate-glass window that looked into the small studio where Jay, their early evening DJ, was wrapping up his segment. The other man sent her a wink and a smile.
She waved back. “This booth is where we broadcast all the shows.”
Ian nodded, seemingly surprised by what he saw. “I have to admit, it’s not quite what I expected. It’s very…small.”
She shrugged, having long ago grown used to the confined space in which she worked. “I like to think of it as cozy.” However, with Ian about to enter the room with her, she was certain cozy would quickly turn to cramped.
Carly sauntered out of an office behind them, swiping a smudge of lipstick from the corner of her mouth, then giving the hem of her racy red dress a quick tug back into place. Dan followed behind, a satisfied smile on his face.
Carly grinned when she caught sight of them. “Nice of the two of you to show up. I was beginning to think I was going to have to go on the air and tell your audience that you hadn’t returned from your date yet and let them all wonder a bit longer how the evening ended.”
Kerri rolled her eyes at her friend’s exaggeration. “They’ll find out soon enough, and it looks like you were too busy with your own date to worry about us.”
Carly fluffed her fingers through her mussed hair and cast a sly glance at her beau. “Just giving Dan a little incentive to wait up for me tonight, if you know what I mean.”
Dan’s face actually flushed. Kerri laughed while Ian followed their conversation with amusement. Minutes later, Jay came out of the booth as a reel of commercials that would segue into Kerri’s show played.
“It’s all yours, Kerri,” the other man said, then shook Ian’s hand. “It’s nice to meet the man behind the voice. You two behave in there.”
“Now, what fun is there in that?” Carly quipped. “We want you to spill all the naughty details, and then some.” Grabbing Ian’s arm, she ushered him into the studio. “Come on, let’s get you settled and ready to go.”
By the time Carly made room for Ian next to Kerri’s side so they could share the microphone, she was feeling very unsettled. They were sitting so close she could feel the searing heat they generated together, could inhale the arousing, masculine scent of him. She was also in direct line with his smoldering, sensual stare, and was near enough for him to reach out and slide his fingers from her knee, to her thigh, to her hip, and up to her breasts, which had been full and taut and achy since their tryst in the car.
That easily, he was sharing her personal space. That effortlessly, he’d invaded her professional haven. She felt physically shaken up, even though he’d hadn’t touched her.
In fact, for the next hour as they laughed and joked and discussed their date on the air, he was a consummate gentleman—charming, sociable, and just flirtatious enough to keep their banter balanced with the kind of provocative teasing her listeners expected between them. She assured her audience that Ian was just as sexy as his voice, and Ian told them that their on-air chemistry was indeed just as hot in person. They both admitted that their evening had ended with a mutually pleasurable kiss. When pressured for more details, Ian swore he wasn’t the kind of guy who would kiss and tell, and Kerri appreciated that bit of chivalry.
The question that was posed over and over again by callers was the same one Kerri had yet to answer—would there be a second date? She kept her response vague, noncommittal and ended the segment with the promise that her listeners would be the first to know what transpired between her and Ian, and to tune in the following week to see what happened next.
Ian removed his headset once they were off the air and slanted her a lazy, knowing grin. “That was a shameless hook for your listeners.”
She shrugged unapologetically, and her hair fluttered against her neck, damp from the heat and humidity. “There’s nothing like a little anticipation to keep listeners on the edge of their seats. It keeps ’em coming back for more.” And leaving her relationship with him dangling kept her from committing to anything between them until she sorted things through in her mind.
He braced his hands on his thighs and stared at her for a long moment. “What about keeping me coming back for more?” he asked, his gaze a deep, intense shade of green. “Don’t you think I need some kind of incentive to keep spending my nights with you, Kerri?”
He wanted an incentive. He could have been referring to anything from a second date, to another kiss, to illicit sex. Her mouth went dry at that last thought, and she lifted her water to her lips only to discover the bottle was empty. Damn. She stood, wanting to get a cup of ice from the machine down the hall before it was airtime again and she began her next segment of the show. And maybe, if Ian followed her, he’d go ahead and call it a night and catch the elevator from there.
“You know, I didn’t say no to another date.” As far as incentives went, even she had to admit it was a pitiful one.
“You didn’t exactly say yes, either,” he said wryly.
She headed out of the studio with a plastic cup in hand, and he was right behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, affecting a coy, teasing look. “Maybe I’m the type to play hard to get.”
He lifted a brow, a dangerous, challenging glimmer reflecting in his striking eyes. “Lucky for you, I’m the type to play along when it’s something I want really bad.”
And he wanted her. That much he’d made abundantly, physically clear with that delicious kiss he’d planted on her in the car. Which she craved more of. Reaching the machine, she scooped a cupful of ice and popped a cube into her mouth to suck on and cool her feverish desires.
“I’m nothing if not patient and persistent.” He leaned against the wall and casually crossed his arms over his chest. While his stance was nonchalant, his body radiated strength and the determination he spoke of. “You should know that about me by now.”
She did know those traits about him. She was proof that he was a man who set his sights on something and pursued it to the end. Not only as a loyal listener, but as a man interested in a woman on a sensual level. She had to admit it was a heady, thrilling sensation being the center of this man’s attention and desires, just so long as their attraction didn’t escalate beyond what she could control.
Carly stuck her head out the door and glanced down the hall toward them. “Three minutes to orgasms,” she announced blithely, then disappeared back inside.
Kerri cringed at her friend’s impertinence, knowing she’d made that particular announcement solely for Ian’s benefit. At the rate Carly was going with all the antics she’d pulled that evening, her friend was going to be lucky to live another day.
She glanced back at Ian. A comical look crossed his features, matching the grin pulling at the corners of his mouth.
“Her orgasms or yours?” he asked humorously.
She crunched into the piece of ice. The cold chill bursting in her mouth was a direct, welcoming contrast to the heat pulsing through her body. “She’s referring to tonight’s topic.”
“Sounds…stimulating,” he murmured.
Her nipples peaked at his choice of word, which went hand in hand with orgasms. He stood there, waiting quietly, patiently, for an invitation to join her for the next segment of the show. To join her for an in-person debate. She thought about discussing such an intimate, erotic subject face-to-face with him. Without pretenses. Without barriers. Without anything but their honest desire for each other laid out in the open between them.
Knowing how potent and sexually irresistible he was, did she even stand a chance against him? Yes, if she didn’t let him grasp the upper hand during their debate. It was all about keeping him unbalanced, she realized. And that meant taking a few calculated personal risks. Letting him share her comfort zone, yet still remaining in control of the situation.
She exhaled a deep, unraveling breath. She needed to do this, to prove to herself that her mother’s weakness wasn’t her own. That she could enjoy this man—and quite possibly a hot, sexy affair—without the threat of losing her identity and everything she’d worked so hard for since coming to Chicago. That she could handle Ian and the pleasure he promised without getting emotionally lost in the process. And what better way to discover if she possessed the ability to hold tight to the reins of control between them than to let him stay for the next segment?
“So, how do you feel about orgasms?” she asked before she lost her nerve or changed her mind.
A downright sinful grin curved his full lips. “I’ve always thought of them as one of life’s little pleasures.”
“Care to debate that on the air?” she asked impudently.
His eyes blazed with a charged excitement. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”