If You Dare (9 page)

And the fantasy was temporary.
 

In a week, she’d return to life as normal. Her garden. Her cat. Her big floppy hat.

She liked that life.
 

Most of the time.

This week was a way to pass the time. To find a way past the incessant boredom of being the best good girl, the perfect daughter.

She closed her eyes as the memory of last night’s bath washed over her. Of Joe’s hands, of his mouth. Of his words.

She should’ve been shocked when he told her he wanted to watch her come. Instead she’d been more turned on than ever.

The memories left her flushed and wanting.

Yep. This was simply a week of fantasy. Real life like this could kill a woman.

Joe didn’t know why he suddenly felt nervous.

Everything was perfectly planned. The room booked. The reservations made. The car waiting downstairs. He even had flowers.

He looked down at the bouquet his sister had convinced him to buy as they checked out at the grocery store. Daisies.

Maybe they were the cause of the nerves.
 

The last time he’d brought a woman daisies, he’d been five and the flowers were for his kindergarten teacher.

But somehow Taylor had convinced him the flowers were the perfect touch.

So here he was.

All he had to do was knock on the door.

So why was he waiting?

Images of last night flashed through his mind. The party. The bath. The bed. And, oh yeah, the bacon.

Maybe his nerves were a delayed case of performance anxiety. He wanted tonight to be perfect, but it didn’t get much better than last night and this morning.

In an effort to clear his mind, he shook his head. This wasn’t about perfection. It was about fun. Hell, who was he fooling? It was about sex.

And he already knew sex with Cordelia was beyond incredible.

With that thought he reached out and knocked on the door and was completely blown away when Cordelia opened it.

Blown away and speechless. Almost.

“You look fantastic.” He held out the flowers and watched as she brought them up to her nose. Her black dress looked cool and sophisticated and sexy as hell.
 

Not at all like the sex goddess of yesterday and yet even more alluring for some reason.

She held out her arms and turned so he could get a better look. “You like?”

He could only nod as he noticed her bare legs, her flexed calf muscles and the strappy black sandals on her feet. She’d painted her toenails pink.
 

Something about that pink left him horny as hell. He wanted to strip her naked and forget about the evening he’d planned.

She, on the other hand, didn’t seem a bit interested in down and dirty sex.
 

In fact, she looked like she could handle a boardroom full of his most demanding clients. Imagining her in his boardroom naturally led to his next thought.

Maybe he needed to rethink his plans. It was Saturday night. The office should be empty and it had a hell of a view over Vegas at night.

Cordelia naked, sprawled out on the cherry wood table would ensure he never had another boring tax litigation meeting.
 

Her laughter brought him back to the present. “I don’t even want to know where that mind of yours has gone.”

He smiled and moved forward, pulling her in his arms at the same time. “Oh yeah you do.”

With a raised eyebrow she shook her head. “Maybe you can fill me in, later, after I put these up.” She held up the flowers.

He refused to let her go right away. She was way too calm. He needed to ruffle her feathers, at least a little bit. “Maybe I should feel you up now.”

That certainly got her attention. But he’d forgotten he was playing the game with a master. She wasn’t the tiniest bit flustered. In fact, she just pressed closer to him, drawing his groin right up to her pelvis before leaning up to his ear and whispering.
 

“Maybe. Honey, if this is a maybe sort of night, you and I are not on the same page.”

Oh yeah. What had he done right in his life to deserve a week with this woman? He trailed his fingers down her bare arm. “Oh darlin’, I assure you, we’re definitely on the same page.”

He wanted to press his lips to hers. To seal his words with a kiss like no other, but she slipped out of his arms before he could.

“Well, good. I’m glad that’s settled.” She walked away and called back. “Let me get these put up and you can tell me about tonight.”

Joe watched her walk away and simply shook his head. She was one hot piece of work. And he had two days to enjoy every second of her company before heading back to the daily grind of corporate law.

He followed her into the kitchen and watched while she put the daisies in a vase of water. “So?”
 

Her question rang through the room and he shrugged. “So what?”

“So, are you going to let me know the plans or…” Her words trailed off and he shook his head.

“Nope. Tonight’s my night to wine, dine and surprise you.”

“Hmmm.” She didn’t look too sure of his idea and he laughed.

“Hey, I promise you’ll have a good time.” He held out his hand. “Come on.”

For a second she looked unsure, completely at odds with the woman he knew. But then she took a deep breath and put her hand in his.

“Okay. I’m all yours. Lead the way.”

Cordelia followed Joe out of the apartment and tried not to feel nervous.

It was one thing to be the sexy woman fantasies were made of in private or in a small group. Tonight was different. Tonight was everywhere.
 

Being with him made her feel sexy. With Joe, she wanted to say things she’d only dreamed of saying. Wanted to do things she didn’t even realize she’d dreamed of doing.

She followed him into the elevator and when the doors closed, she felt the hairs on her arms stand on end.

Perfect example. Elevator sex. Never once in her entire life had the thought crossed her mind.

Suddenly she wanted to hit the stop button and find out how incredible it just might be.

She looked up at him and smiled at the thought. He looked so delicious in his Polo shirt and dress slacks. It’d be a real shame to get him all wrinkled before they even left the building.

But he smelled so good, like spice and soap and shampoo. Plus he was looking way too comfortable, way too sure of himself.

If ever there’d been a time to let loose, this was it.

Leaning next to him, Cordelia stepped on tiptoe so her lips would brush his ear when she whispered. “I have a secret.”

His head didn’t move as she spoke, and even though her entire body felt like it was on fire, he stayed perfectly still beside her.
 

But his voice sounded different when he spoke. Like maybe he had a secret of his own. “Oh really. What’s that?”

“I don’t know if I should tell you or not.”

She watched his lips turn up slightly. “Go ahead. Live dangerously.”

She couldn’t hold back the wicked laugh as she leaned against the mirrored wall behind her. “I guess I need to warn you before we go out in public anyway.”

“Warn me, hmmm? That sounds…” he paused before finishing. “dangerous.”

She shook her head and laughed. “It’s no big deal really. I just figured you might like to know.”

“To know….”

She shrugged and attempted a nonchalant pose before continuing. “To know that tattoo you seem to like so well isn’t all that covered right now.” She stopped and let the statement hang in the air for a moment. “In fact, it’s pretty much exposed.”
 

She would’ve continued. Would’ve made a joke, but at her words, Joe’s hand slammed the stop button on the elevator, and Cordelia felt a shot of pure pleasure at the look on his face.

Maybe he wasn’t so in control after all.

Her pulse crashed in a rapid fire beat and she felt her breath catch in her throat as his eyes burned over her body.

“The old no underwear trick, hmm?”

His voice was soft and low and made her instantly crave his touch. She couldn’t speak to save her life, so she simply shook her head.

His hand reached out and snagged the hemline of her dress. Tugging gently he uttered a command. “Come here.”

At his words she wanted to throw herself in his arms. But she’d planned this move with the precision of a general. She’d read one Cosmo article after another, and she had one intention when she’d told him about her lack of panties.

She wanted to drive him crazy all night long.

So even though he hadn’t asked, she shook her head. “Huh-uh.”

He must’ve skipped the articles she’d read on assertive women because he tugged the skirt of her dress a little harder as the warning bell on the elevator started to ring.

With all his insistence, she told herself she really had no choice. She could stand back and end up naked, pity that, or step up closer and see if he was as interested in elevator sex as she was.

With a sigh she stepped forward and watched as his long fingers with their manicured nails brushed the sides of her legs as he lifted the skirt oh so slowly up, up, up.

She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out as his hand disappeared, as his finger took one gentle sweep through her wet folds.

The warning bells going off in her mind had nothing to do with elevators. Turning her around he moved so they both faced the mirrored wall.

“Watch.”

He pulled her up so her silk skirt covered bottom rested against his rock hard erection, and she heard herself whimper as he spoke the word.

And then she could only do as he said.

As his fingers delved softly against the outside edges of her now swollen sex, she felt the air whoosh from her lungs. When his finger dipped inside, her eyes met his and she felt as if he could see to her very soul.

And then, as quickly as he started, he stopped.
 

Letting her skirt fall back in place against her mid thighs he rested his chin on her head for a moment.

“Damn I hate reservations.” His words resonated through the small space.

“Me too.” She agreed with a breathless whisper as he dropped his hand from the stop button on the elevator and turned her to face the front.

For the life of her, she couldn’t make her legs work.

When the doors opened to let a middle aged couple on the elevator she felt her cheeks burn. What if they knew?

But when the man made a comment about calling the repairman, Joe agreed that it might be a good idea.

And then he pulled her next to his side and slid his fingers over her bare arms to the same slow tempo he’d used only moments before when he’d nearly brought her to orgasm.

Her plan had backfired and then some. Cordelia figured she’d have to write a few articles of her own on the dangers of pantyless proclamations.

They might be guaranteed to drive him wild, but they sure as heck played games with her. She closed her eyes and envisioned the headline screaming across a glossy page: Proceed With Caution and other tales from frustrated women.

Ugh!
 

When they reached the bottom floor, Cordelia could barely move. Her attempt at discombobulating him had her feeling like putty in his hands.

Literally.

He was still completely in control.

She closed her eyes and remembered the way he’d seared her with a look in the mirror. Remembered the way he’d felt behind her. Hard. Ready.
 

Before the night was over, she’d have him that way again.

That’s exactly what she was thinking when she stepped through the door he opened and into the stifling heat of a Vegas summer evening only to see a black stretch limo complete with chauffer standing next to it.

A chauffer who called Joe, Mr. Sterling and said crazy things like, “very good, sir.”

Good Lord, the man had a limo. And she was trying to play small town seduction games with the old I’m-not-wearing-any-panties trick.
 

Seeing the black tuxedoed chauffer did it. Okay, maybe the fully stocked mini bar helped. And the way Joe climbed in behind her and let his fingers brush softly over her bare arm simply cemented the deal.

All games were done. She simply could not continue pretending to be someone she wasn’t. She could not be the worldly woman who road around in dream cars, attempted elevator sex and engaged in steamy bathtub scenes without comment. She just couldn’t do it any more.

“Oh my God! I cannot believe I’m in a limo with you. This is incredible.”

“In a limo, drinking champagne.” Joe held out a crystal glass and she took it still feeling more than a little dumbfounded.

“How?” Cordelia sipped her champagne and tried not to wrinkle her nose. She really hated champagne unless it was mixed with peach juice or orange juice.

But she couldn’t very well turn him down.

He shrugged at her question. “I made a few calls, found out the car was available tonight. We use it to impress clients.”

At least it wasn’t his. Not really anyway. But still, Jeeze. “I bet it makes a heck of an impression.”

He laughed and then settled back against the seat pulling her with him. “I wanted to impress you.”

Oh Lord. The way he said those words left her feeling a little breathless.

“Well, you did.”

He took her still full glass and set it on a counter across from him. “I wanted to make this night incredible. Unforgettable.”

He was so damn cute, so serious. The prefect vacation fling.
 

She had to keep that in mind first and foremost. This wasn’t real. She was going home to her cat, her garden, her volunteer work. “You pretty much took care of unforgettable back in the elevator.”

Yep. If he was looking for unforgettable that single moment, when he’d said the words come here, pretty much took care of that. Hell, who was she kidding? He’d hit unforgettable when he’d walked through the bathroom door last night. But she wanted more. She really wanted more. Because these unforgettable moments had to last.

As if reading her thoughts, he shook his head. “That was simply the beginning. Just wait.”