Night After Night (5 page)

The tip of her pink tongue skimmed along her bottom lip, dampening the pillowed flesh and filling Sean’s head with too many erotic thoughts and images. “You want to see if my kiss is better than my chocolate cake?”

Her voice was breathless with anticipation, her eyes darkening with the same desire igniting a low, burning need inside of him. “It’s the only way I can make an informed comparison,” he murmured, using the gentle pull on the strands of her hair still wrapped around his finger to reel her in as he dipped his mouth closer to hers. “Your cake is probably the best I’ve had, but I have a feeling kissing you might be a whole lot more addictive.”

She smiled, her lashes fluttering closed as his mouth brushed across hers, his teeth gently nibbling, tasting, teasing. Her cool palm touched his cheek, and her lips parted on a sigh, inviting him in, and he didn’t hesitate to give her more. His tongue touched hers in a slow swirling caress that drew a purr of sound from her throat and made him harder than hell.

With effort, he pulled back, ending the kiss while he still had the ability to do so. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, the wanting in her gaze turning him inside out with a deeper, more insatiable hunger that threatened to consume him.

“Well?” She dragged her thumb along his moist bottom lip, and it took monumental effort on his part not to suck her finger into his mouth. “What do you think?”

Honestly, there was no comparison when it came to the flavor of her chocolate cake versus how rich and decadent she tasted. “I’m still not sure,” he lied, hoping like hell she’d offer up another sampling.

She didn’t disappoint him. Her fingers slid into his hair and around to the back of his neck, her expression filled with a seductive yearning. “Then by all means, let’s try again until you’re absolutely certain.” She guided his head back down to hers.

At first touch, both their lips automatically opened and he rolled his tongue into her mouth. She took it and gave him her own, coaxing him deeper into the wild and willing kiss. What began as a fun, sexy dare quickly flared into heated lust, the kind that tightened his groin and threatened his control. In the back of his mind, he could hear John Mayer singing about her body being a wonderland, and Sean couldn’t agree more.

Lush curves and silky skin awaited his touch, urging him to stroke his hands over all those alluring dips and swells that made her intrinsically a woman. Pushing her back onto the couch, he moved partially on top of her and slid a hard thigh between her legs, entwining their bodies intimately. Tunneling all ten fingers into her hair, he tipped her head slightly, fitted her mouth precisely to his, and took their kiss to a deeper, hotter level of pleasure.

Her soft moan of consent vibrated against his lips, and she shifted restlessly beneath him, seeking something more. He slid a hand along her thigh and over her hip, the clingy material of her sweatpants too much of a barrier when he ached to feel her naked flesh against his palm. Then his fondest wish was granted when his fingers grazed the soft, supple skin of her stomach, where her sweatpants ended and her camisole top began. He feathered his fingertips along that bared strip of skin, his pulse spiking dangerously high when she arched into him and wrapped a leg around his, so that his rock-hard erection had no choice but to nestle right up against her sex.

Sweet Jesus.
She was so damn responsive. So incredibly sensual and passionate.

She rolled her hips against his, a slow, erotic undulation that made him growl deep in his throat and made him crazy with the need to shed their clothes and sink his cock to the hilt inside of her. Instead, he slipped his hand beneath the hem of her top and headed for the next best thing…the sweet, plump rise of her breast.

She wasn’t wearing a bra, and when he closed his palm over her warm, pliant flesh and his fingers plucked at her stiff nipple, she shuddered beneath him and squeezed his thigh between her legs. He lifted his head to look down at her, taking in her flushed face, her pink, wet lips, and her heavy-lidded gaze staring up at him with undeniable wanting.

Unable to help himself, he went back in for another kiss, this one a long, slow, lazy exploration of lips and tongues, adding to the exquisite feel of her breast nestled so perfectly in his hand.

She unbuttoned his shirt, splayed her palms on his chest, and grazed her thumbs across his rigid nipples, coaxing a rough groan of pleasure from him. As one decadent kiss melted into another and each luxurious caress grew bolder than the last, he lost track of time, not that seconds or minutes mattered when he had such a gorgeous, vibrant woman pressed beneath him.

A while later her fingers slid into his hair and she tugged his head back, ending their kiss. They were both panting hard, their bodies taut with arousal, and he knew they were right on the verge of taking this make-out session one step further, to the point of no return unless one of them came to their senses.

“Oh, God,” she said breathlessly, her expression soft and dreamy. “Why can’t you kiss like a Saint Bernard and look like a troll?”

He chuckled. Not exactly what he was expecting to hear, but as the voice of reason in this runaway train of seduction, her humorous comment worked to bring them both back to reality. “I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.” She sighed, a languid smile easing up the corners of her well-kissed mouth. “It would make resisting you so much easier.”

He dipped his head and nuzzled the fragrant curve of her neck. “Who says you have to?” he murmured into her ear, and gave her supple breast another gentle squeeze.

She shivered, twisted his hair tighter between her fingers, and tugged his head back again. “I do,” she said, genuine regret in her tone as she pulled his hand from beneath her top. “The thing is, I’m not the type of girl who has sex with a guy unless it means something more than scratching an itch.”

Her confession couldn’t have shocked him more, and made him wonder just how experienced, or inexperienced, she actually was. “Are you…” How did he ask such a question?

“A virgin?” she finished for him, then laughed. “Lord, no. I love sex; I just don’t do
casual
sex, even when I know it has the potential of being absolutely mind-blowing. Pathetic, but true.”

“Ah-h, you’re a good girl.” Grinning, he propped his head in his hand and drew lazy swirls on her bare stomach with the tip of his finger, enjoying the way the muscles in her belly clenched in reaction. “Nothing pathetic about that. In fact, I find it incredibly sexy and refreshing.”

Her morals said a lot about her character, and oddly enough, her views on sex only made him respect her more. And it kept him from crossing lines he had no business stepping over. Hell, he never should have kissed her in the first place, but it was difficult to regret something that felt and tasted so good.

She looked relieved. “Then you’re the first. In fact, I’ve been accused of being a tease, so I try not to let things get to the point of no return, if you know what I mean.” Before he could reply, she rushed on to explain. “Don’t get me wrong. I love kissing and touching and fondling, and all the other good stuff that goes with making out with a hot guy like you.”

He lifted a brow. “The good stuff?” he asked, curious to hear her definition of that phrase.

Her shoulder lifted in a nonchalant shrug, though the delightful pink coloring rising on her cheeks told him she wasn’t so indifferent to their candid discussion. “You know,
the good stuff,
” she said, her blush deepening as her hands fluttered in the air between them. “Foreplay, an orgasm, but without actually having sex.”

“Foreplay
is
the best part of sex.” He winked at her, though he was completely serious. “So is the buildup of sexual tension over the course of a few dates.”

She smiled. “Are you asking me out on another date?”

“I believe I am.” She was still lying beside him on the couch, and he loved that she was so comfortable with him. “When can I see you again?” Being with her should have been all about the case and finding her father, but Sean knew deep in his gut his desire to be with her was too personal. Not a good thing, but his attraction to her was getting more difficult for him to fight.

“Soon, hopefully.”

“Tomorrow?”

She laughed at his persistence. “I can’t. I’ll be tied up all day in marketing conference calls for my fall campaign and placing coordinating orders for the boutique with my manufacturer, and tomorrow night I already have a date.”

The pit of his stomach twisted with an emotion that was foreign to him—jealousy. “You do?”

She nodded, an impish look in her eyes. “With Jessica.”

Not a guy but her best friend. Thank God.
The ten-pound weight sitting on his chest eased substantially. “Maybe I could crash your party,” he teased.

“No boys allowed,” she said, shaking her head. “We’re ordering dinner in and watching a chick flick. It’s something we do whenever she’s in town.”

“It was worth a shot.” He grinned and ran the tip of his finger along the smooth slope of Zoe’s nose. “How long are you going to make me wait to see you again?”

She thought for a moment. “Tell you what. How about I promise to be in touch over the next few days? Maybe we can get together this weekend…if you’re lucky.”

He chuckled, knowing she was deliberately playing him. “Yeah, you
are
a tease.”

She certainly wasn’t a simple mark or someone he could easily manipulate, and pushing the issue any more would only make him look too desperate and annoying. Her calls were already being monitored, but he’d have Caleb put surveillance on her until they were together again. Which Sean hoped wouldn’t be long from now.

Moving off the couch, he stood up, then offered her his hand. “It’s getting late and I should go.”

After accepting his help up, she straightened her camisole, which did nothing to conceal the outlines of her nipples against the fabric. He grabbed his coat and tie, and she followed him to the door. For purely selfish reasons he didn’t dare analyze, he stole another quick, heated kiss, something sweet to tide him over until he saw her again. Something that would leave her aching for more.

Too soon for his liking, he drew back and smiled. “Just for the record, you’re far more delicious than your chocolate cake.”

She licked her bottom lip, as if tasting for herself. “That’s good to know.”

Satisfied that he’d weakened her defenses and ignited the slow burn of anticipation, he opened the door and looked back at her one last time. “Don’t make me wait long.”

“So, did you get lucky last night?”

Jessica sauntered into Zoe’s living room the following evening, carrying a bag of Chinese takeout and a six-pack of cheap strawberry daiquiri wine coolers, their favorite girls’-night-in fare. She set their meal on the place mats Zoe had laid out on the coffee table, then turned back around, hands on her slim, jeans-clad hips and her expression direct and expectant.

“Well?” Jessica persisted, wanting details, as always.

Zoe settled on the couch, unable to stop the silly, giddy grin lifting her lips. “I got lucky enough.”

Jessica plopped down beside her and let out an exasperated breath. “First base? Second base? Come on, Zoe,
spill
already. Let me live vicariously.”

Zoe laughed, then told her best friend what she wanted to know, because they pretty much shared everything. “We kissed.
A lot.
”

And those seductive kisses had been so, so good. Just remembering Sean’s persuasive mouth on hers, his hard thigh pressed between her legs, and his warm hand on her breast made her heart pound like an infatuated school-girl’s all over again. He was the first man since her painful breakup with Ian to make her feel so desirable, and she couldn’t deny that Sean’s attention, and their mutual attraction, felt really nice.

“I’m jealous.” Jessica exhaled a wistful sigh. “I can’t remember the last time I made out with a guy.”

Zoe didn’t bother to point out that Jessica’s lack of a love life was by her own choice. Jessica Morgan the glamorous rock star had her pick of any guy she wanted. But Jessica the woman was wary when it came to men and what they expected of her because of her celebrity status. Did they really want
her
or the perks of her fame? She didn’t trust easily, and even though she gave the impression of being a bit of a bad girl when she performed onstage, she had a soft, vulnerable heart she kept well protected.

Zoe’s stomach growled, reminding her how busy she’d been all day long and that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She unpacked their dinner and handed Jessica her takeout box of sweet-and-sour pork, along with chopsticks, then picked up her own entrée of chicken lo mein. Leaning back against the sofa cushions, she crossed her legs on the couch and dug into her meal.

“Are you going to see him again?” Jessica asked after they’d eaten a few bites.

Reaching for her wine cooler, Zoe took a drink of the strawberry-flavored beverage. “He asked, and I’d
like
to go out with him again, but honestly, right now just isn’t the ideal time to jump into a relationship of any sort.”

It was a thought Zoe had been wrestling with all night long and still didn’t have a definite answer to. Physically and sexually, she and Sean meshed incredibly well, but Zoe wasn’t sure she was ready to invest her emotions into any man when she needed all her focus on opening her boutique.

Jessica popped a piece of pork into her mouth and chewed. “There’s never a
good
time.”

“Yeah, like
you
would know,” Zoe shot back, pointing her chopsticks in her friend’s direction.

Jessica responded by sticking her tongue out at her.

Zoe shook her head and changed the subject, for both of their sakes. As they finished eating, they talked about Jessica’s upcoming tour and the different elements she wanted to incorporate into the show. They brainstormed ideas on props and backdrops, and an hour later they’d even come up with a few costume ideas for Jessica to discuss with her stylist and wardrobe coordinator.