A Little Wild (11 page)

Grabbing her hips, he pumped into her, stretching her inner walls until they burned on the edge of an intense pleasure-pain. She hooked her legs behind his waist, and he carried her to the window with their bodies joined. He opened the blinds and set her on the low ledge.

Her spine met cool glass, and she gasped. His cock slid out of her.

She whimpered.

“It’s okay,” he murmured. “The sky is glittering with stars. No one can see us.” He thrust into her body again, and the incredible tension mounted as he fucked her against the window.

He whispered in her ear, “Except…there’s a man in the building across the street…with a telescope. He’s stroking his cock, because he’s watching us, Tess. He’s watching me fuck you.”

Her eyes flew open. Where had that thought come from?

It’s a fantasy. Just go with it.

Her eyes drifted shut.

“He’s watching us because
I want him to
,” Zach said against her mouth as his thick cock thrust in and out. “He can only see your beautiful back, your hair strewn over your shoulders…but he knows I’m fucking you, and it’s driving him crazy. He wants you, babe, but he can’t have you. Because you’re mine.”

He thrust hard. Her spine pushed against the window, her inner muscles gripping his cock as she climaxed. The pulsating vibrations felt like they would never end. She cried out, and he shuddered against her shoulder, his breathing ragged.

Slowly, he pulled out. Tess opened her eyes to the dark summer night.

“Well.” She sat Mr. G. on the nightstand. “I needed that.”

Licking her dry lips, she gazed around the shadowy bedroom. Her orgasm had rocked her world, but a strange sadness filled her that she’d needed to resort to a sex toy and a voyeuristic fantasy to get herself off when a few heated touches from Zach Halliday could accomplish the deed just as quickly…and feel ten times more amazing.

Grunting, she tossed the sheets off her body. She’d paid good money for Mr. G.—she’d use the toy three times a night if she had to. Anything to get this insane attraction to Zach Halliday out of her mind.

She snatched the vibrator off the nightstand and stomped into the bathroom to clean it.

Chapter Seven

“So there’s no Jake and there’s no Jack,” Chloe said from behind the hissing espresso machine bordering the Whole Latte Lovin’ counter.

“Right.” Seated atop a tall, wrought iron stool, Tess readjusted the thick braid she’d fashioned at the office. “There’s only Zach.” And Mr. G. After a second night of indulging in erotic sessions with her inanimate lover, she’d settled into a symbiotic relationship with the sex toy. She got her rocks off while “he” enjoyed the satisfaction of knowing she couldn’t sue his manufacturer for defective workmanship.

Chloe passed a cappuccino to a customer then returned to the snacking area. “Zach Halliday, no less, of the mucho-moneyed Hallidays and the studly reputation. Mr. Hunk of Burnin’ Love is full of surprises.” Another customer advanced to the order station. Checking her watch, Chloe gestured at Frank to take over. Her gaze moved back to Tess. “And you left work at two o’clock in the afternoon to see him? Impressive. This bet has given you a major kick in the pants, Tee. You never take time off.”

“You make it sound like, before this bet, all I did was work, Chloe. How about my ‘entourage of dates’, as you call them?”

“They don’t count. You haven’t done the wild thing with any of them. Not that you’ve told me, anyway.”

“Don’t worry, I haven’t.” Tess hadn’t even fantasized about getting it on with a member of the entourage. The whole point behind assembling her collection of platonic male friends was that not one had a prayer of leading her into temptation.

Chloe’s gaze narrowed. “Speaking of the entourage, you have been nixing any and all invites, haven’t you? I’m dealing with a lawyer. I’ve learned to be precise.”

Nodding, Tess finished tidying her braid. “I turned down a date this morning. Richard called.” She ran her hands down her khaki shorts.

“That stockbroker dork?”

“He’s not a dork. He wanted to have drinks tonight.”

“And you said no? Go, Tess!”

“It was no big deal. When I explained how swamped I am at work, Richard said he understood.” Actually, every guy she’d turned down in the eight days since meeting Zach had been extremely understanding about her sudden unavailability. Chloe had been right when she’d implied Tess’s love life lacked luster.

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Chloe said. “It’s a huge deal that you turned down Dick.”

Tess laughed. “Richard.”

“Whatever.” The fiend grinned. “Of all the guys in your entourage, Dickie’s the tamest, which also makes him the safest. It’s goodbye safe for you, hel-
lo
studmuffin.” Chloe paused. “At least, it had better be. You haven’t said yes to
another
member of the entourage?”

Tess shook her head. “I haven’t dated a soul since before that night in Danver’s, and I don’t plan to.” Mostly because she was swamped, but also because she needed Chloe to believe she was on track with the bet. She didn’t have the stamina to do a good job with the Crockett’s deal, help Zach with his business, concentrate on building her client list, pamper herself with her new sex toy, and keep Chloe at bay.

Something had to give. Out of necessity, that “something” translated into pulling a scam on her best friend.

“You mean to say you don’t plan on dating anyone
but
Zach,” Chloe specified above the instrumental music flowing from the coffeehouse speakers.

“Um, yeah.”

“Wonderful progress, Tee. I’m proud of you.”

Tess glanced away. Chloe’s compliments would evaporate faster than rainwater in the desert if she realized Tess wasn’t dating Zach, just seeing him for business reasons.

However, even if Tess wanted to spill her guts to her best bud, she couldn’t. On Monday, when she’d agreed to represent Zach, she’d promised to keep his plans secret. While usually she had no difficulty maintaining client confidentiality, she’d never before needed to pretend a business relationship didn’t exist.

“Don’t be too proud.” She faked absorption in her cranberry muffin, poking at a mashed bit of red fruit and licking the juice off her finger.

“I’ll be as proud as I want.” Chloe crossed her arms over her kelly-green apron. “I thought you’d need a ton more pushing to reach this point. You’ve surprised me.”

“I’m daring and unafraid now, thanks to you.”
Even more daring than you might think.
Tess’s lips twitched. She felt like she hoarded a naughty, sexy secret. And she supposed she did.

Because no way would she tell Chloe about the phone sex or her desk adventures, or especially her nerves and exhilaration at the thought of seeing Zach again.

Chloe stepped aside to allow Frank access to the glass pastry cabinet. Once the tall man had retrieved a muffin, Chloe rested crossed arms on the counter. “Where is the infamous Zach Halliday taking you?”

“Golfing.”

“Yuck.”

“I like to golf.”

“Uh-huh. You only golf when your job requires it. You don’t even own a set of clubs.”

Tess’s mouth firmed. It would really help her cause if Chloe accepted her white lies at face value!

She picked at her muffin. “We’re getting a set from Jenna’s before heading to Northview. But in a way I am working. As a favor to his father, Zach is sort of involved in the latest Halliday Enterprises deal. He’s very intelligent, and he has some great ideas. We’ll probably toss them around on the golf course.” Truthfully, they wouldn’t discuss the Crockett’s acquisition in detail, other than to promote Tess’s lawyerly skills to the rich cohorts Zach had invited along. Specifics of the deal were restricted to key players from both companies, plus their accountants and lawyers. However, she needed to supply Chloe with enough information to render her afternoon plans with Zach believable.

“A lot of business is conducted on golf courses, Chlo.” She slurped her iced latte. “I’m too busy at work right now to take time off without a damn good reason.”

“So you’re being sneaky by combining work with a date. Smart.”

“Thanks.”

“It doesn’t really count as a first date, though.”

“Our golf game? It does so.” Tess set aside her latte glass.

“It. Does. Not. At the most, it’s a half-date.”

“You’re quibbling about this? I’m not hassling you about your love life.”

An odd look entered her friend’s gaze. “That’s because I have one. I’m just taking a breather before deciding who to hunt down next.” Chloe fluffed her hair.

“Okay, it’s a half-date. I take it that means you can’t browbeat me if we don’t kiss?”

“Grrrr. You’re becoming far too good at this, Tess. I’m warning you, I require at least a half-kiss to satisfy the requirements of the bet.”

“A half-kiss for a half-date? So when he leans in to kiss my lips, I can pull away and he can kiss my golf club? As long as he’s puckering, it’ll qualify as a half-kiss.”

“He can kiss whatever you want, but there must be flesh involved. No golf clubs.”

“But if I don’t pucker in return?”

“Then I guess it’ll qualify as a half-kiss. Although I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t want to pucker. The man is seriously hot. I’d be puckering all over him if I were you. In fact, if we didn’t already have a bet, I’d issue a challenge right now that when you kiss Zach Halliday you won’t be able to stop at a peck or a pucker. No passive fish lips for you, my girl. It’s been far too long. There’ll be tongues involved.” Chloe nodded sagely. “Definitely. Tongues on the eighteenth hole. I can see it now.”

All this talk about tongues and holes spiked Tess’s temperature like the milk frothing and steaming from the over-energetic espresso machine. Body warming, she undid the second button of her short-sleeved camp shirt and fanned her neck with a paper napkin.

“I can’t promise tongues, Chloe.” Although she could dream about them. Tongues and holes.
Oh yes.

She needed to replenish her supply of bubble bath, maybe buy some new bath towels. Ones constructed of nubby terry cloth. A remarkable number of hers were always wet lately.

“I’ll just play it by ear,” she murmured.

“His tongue
in
your ear?” Chloe’s gaze darted away. “Shit. Don’t look now, but—”

Tess swiveled on the stool.

Studmuffin at twelve o’clock.

His tongue in her ear?
He must be hearing things. But, hey, after their erotic phone call and sexy adventure beneath her desk, maybe his ears weren’t deceiving him, after all.

Zach shoved his hands into the pockets of his navy golf shorts. “Did I hear someone say tongues? Sounds like an interesting conversation.”

He hadn’t thought Tess’s blue eyes could grow any larger. A blush staining her cheeks, she gripped the back rung of her stool.

“Sh-shoe tongues,” she stammered while her brunette friend’s gaze followed their conversation with rapt interest.

“Shoe tongues?” he echoed. That was original. “And ears?”

“Uh, no, not ears. Years. I need to buy some golf shoes. The tongues of mine are tattered. I haven’t bought a new pair in years.” She strangled her napkin.

Zach looked at her feet. “You’re not wearing golf shoes.” He checked out the vicinity, but couldn’t spot evidence that she’d brought a pair into the coffeehouse, either.

“That’s because they’re so worn out. I need to buy a new pair at the pro shop.”

“Allll right,” he said in a tone meant to convey he didn’t buy her story for one minute but was gentleman enough to let it pass. “You should pack your runners with you in the golf cart and change into them after a few holes, in case your new shoes create blisters.”

“Good thinking.”

Zach grinned. Okay, it was entirely possible that Tess and her friend hadn’t been discussing him at all. Maybe Tess wanted some other guy’s tongue in her ear. Hell, maybe she’d developed a habit of tossing around quirky pickup lines and participating in juicy phone calls.

He extended a hand to her friend. “We met at the bar, but I didn’t catch your name. Zach Halliday.”

“Chloe Nichols.” They shook hands over the counter.

“Nice seeing you again. Thanks for giving me Tess’s real phone number, by the way.”

No doubt a fascinating story lay behind why Tess had slipped him a fake phone number only to have her friend thwart her efforts. He’d ask her about the matter someday, but he needed to get to know her better first. In his experience, women liked their secrets, those enigmatic illusions that maintained the aura of feminine mystery guys like him found so damn intriguing.

And why shouldn’t they? Any red-blooded male on the planet would acknowledge that the chase was half the fun.

Zach intended to soak up every ounce of pleasure he could from chasing Tess.

“You’re welcome,” Chloe said. “But I should let you know I don’t usually—”

“Do that sort of thing? There’s a lot of that going around.”

Tess slapped her tattered napkin on the counter. “Could we please stop discussing how Zach got my real phone number? I wasn’t myself that night.”

Chloe snorted. “And you haven’t been yourself ever since.”

“You haven’t?” Zach grazed her upper arm with his fingertips. She stiffened, but didn’t pull away. An instant later, the tension in her arm eased.

He rested his fingers on her short shirtsleeve, his palm cradling her warm, freckled skin. He gazed at her neck. Wavy wisps of hair drifted loose from her braid. The hairstyle exposed her small ears, revealing dainty, attached lobes. Tiny, twisted-gold hoops dangled from them.

He developed a sudden craving to discover the flavor of gold.

“Relax. We’re teasing.” He rubbed her arm. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. However, after overhearing that riveting morsel about tongues and ears, he wondered… Did Chloe realize theirs was a business arrangement? Or, considering his confidentiality issues, had Tess allowed her friend to believe they were dating?

To be on the safe side, he’d assume the dating. Tess could always correct him later.

Because if, in her estimation, he overstepped his bounds, he had no reservations that she would correct him.