All Through the Night (29 page)

They were all still chuckling when suddenly Cameron approached. He had his hands in his pants pockets, a crooked smile on his handsome face.

He looked at each woman in turn. “Afternoon, ladies.”

Agog, Becky wiggled her fingertips in a halfhearted wave.

Erica lounged back in her seat and grinned. “Mr. O’Reilly.”

“Cameron, please.” Then to Asia, “I’m sorry to interrupt your break, but could I speak to you for just a moment?”

Asia felt dumbstruck. She glanced at her friends, who made very differing faces at her, then nodded. “Uh, sure.”

“In private.” He gently took her arm and headed to the back of the lounge, to the large storage closet. Asia almost stalled.
A closet
? She felt workers looking up in casual interest; she felt Erica and Becky staring hard enough to burn a hole into her back.

She felt excitement roil inside her.

As if inviting her into a formal parlor instead of a closet, Cameron gallantly opened the door and gestured her inside.

She only hesitated a moment. He closed the door, leaving them in near darkness. One narrow window over the door let in the lounge’s faded fluorescent light. Shadows were everywhere, from boxes and brooms and supplies. Asia backed up to a wall, a little apprehensive, a lot eager, and waited.

He tipped his head at her, frowning slightly. “I wanted to ask you something.”

Oh no. No, no, no! He knew she’d called last night! He’d ask her about it, want to know why, and what the heck could she possibly tell him
—

“Would you mind too much if I jumped the gun a little here and… kissed you?”

Asia froze, her thoughts suspended, her panic redirected, her heart skipping a beat.

“I know, I know.” He rubbed the back of his neck, agitated. “The thing is, I can’t stop thinking about it—or you—and I doubt I’ll get any work done today if I don’t.” He looked at her, and his voice lowered. “You see, I’m going nuts wanting to taste you.”

Taste her
? It was like a dream, Asia thought, far removed from reality. Never had she expected any guy to say such a thing to her.

Asia collected her wayward thoughts and replied stupidly, “You are?”

He gave a slow, considering nod, took a step closer. “Would you mind?”

“Uh…” She looked around. They had privacy here in the dim closet, never mind that a crowd of people was right outside the door, oblivious to his request.

Even in the shadows, she could see his beautiful blue eyes watching her, hot and expectant. So very aware of her.

Her pulse tripped. She sucked in an unsteady breath and caught his scent—subtle aftershave and heated male flesh. Delicious scents that made her head swim.

He stepped closer still until he nearly touched her, his gaze now on her mouth, hungry and waiting. She licked her lips and started to whisper, “All right—”

And with a soft groan, his mouth was there, covering hers, gentle and warm and firm. His hands flattened on the wall on either side of her head and his chest almost touched hers. Not quite, but she felt the body heat radiating off him in waves, carrying more of that delicious scent for her to breathe in, letting her fill herself up with it until she shook.

“Open your mouth,” he murmured against her lips, and like a zombie—a very aroused zombie—she did.

He didn’t thrust his tongue into her mouth. No, he licked her lips with a warm, velvet tongue, gentle, easy. Then just inside her mouth, slowly, over the edges of her teeth, her own tongue.

Asia moaned and opened more in blatant invitation, wanting his tongue. Wanting all of him.

He slid in, deep and slow, then out again.

“Jesus.” He dropped his head forward and she felt his uneven breaths pelting her cheek. He gave a short, low laugh, roughened by his arousal. “You make me feel like a schoolboy again.”

Her heart in her throat, panting and trembling, Asia managed to say, “Made out in a lot of closets, did you?”

“Hmm?” His head lifted, his eyes burning on her face, still eager, still intent.

She swallowed back a groan. “In school.”

“Oh.” He smiled, looked at her mouth and kissed her again, a brief, teasing kiss to her bottom lip. “No. No, I didn’t. But I did walk around with a perpetual hard-on, and damn if that isn’t what you do to me.”

Was there a proper reply a lady made to such a comment? If so, Asia had no idea what it might be.

His big rough hands settled on her face, cupping her cheeks, his thumbs smoothing over her temples. He looked concerned. Horny and concerned. “I’m sorry if I’m rushing you.”

She almost laughed at that. The way he made her feel, she wanted to be rushed. “Do you hear me complaining?”

“No,” he said slowly. “No, you’re not.” His expression turned thoughtful. “Can I take that to mean you want me too?”

He was so blunt! She hadn’t expected it of him. In her experience—admittedly limited—well-dressed corporate types were more reserved. She heard lewd jests from the factory workers all the time. And she heard the maintenance guys make ribald jokes throughout the day. But the suits… they generally feared sexual harassment charges and any kidding they did remained very private.

Erica claimed all men were the same when it came to sex, but Asia knew that wasn’t true. Some men approached sex as a free-for-all. Her ex-husband had been that way. He wanted it whenever he could get it, whoever he could get it from.

Some saw sex as a commitment, others as a challenge.

And some, she hoped, saw it as a mutual exchange of pleasure, best experienced with respect and consideration.

So far, Cameron struck her as that type of man. Finally, she answered, “Yes.”

He let out a breath. “You took so long to answer, I wasn’t sure.” He rubbed her bottom lip with the edge of his thumb, smiling. “You’ve got a masochistic streak in you, don’t you?”

“No, I just wasn’t… sure how to answer.”

This time he laughed. “That’ll teach my ego to get excited.”

She covered her face with her hands. “I’m making a mess of this aren’t I?”

“Not at all. You gave me my kiss, and that was more than I had a right to ask for.” Stepping back, he said, “I should let you get back to your friends.”

But she didn’t want him going through the day thinking she
didn’t
want him. Because she did. More so with every blasted second.

Forcing herself to be bold, Asia lifted her chin and looked him right in his sexy blue eyes. “Will you give me another kiss first?”

He stared down at her, that charming crooked smile in place. He leaned back against the wall and said, “Why don’t you kiss me this time? Just to be fair?”

He kept taking her by surprise! She’d been under the impression all men liked to be in control, at all times. She realized this proved her theory about the sexually explicit movie he’d purchased. Even though he bought a tape that showed a man dominating in the most elemental way, he’d just offered to let her take the lead. She braced herself.

In for a penny
... Asia put her hands on his shoulders, then stalled. He was so hard.

His suit coat hid some broad shoulders and a lot of solid muscle. She hadn’t realized before, but now the proof was in her hands and it was unbearably enticing.
Would he be that hard all over
?

She shivered. What a thought.

Trailing her fingers downward, she found his biceps and inhaled in triumph. Solid, strong. No underexercised executive here! Cameron O’Reilly was all rugged male.

Eyes closed, Asia flexed her fingers, relishing the feel of hard muscle, strong bones and obvious strength. Her stomach did a little flip of excitement and she stepped into him while going on tiptoe. When he’d kissed her, only their mouths had touched.

But Asia wanted more and she saw no reason to deny herself. She fitted her body to his, soft breasts to broad chest, curving belly to hard abdomen… pelvis to pelvis. He groaned low and rough, and then his hands were on the small of her back, pressing her closer, and she felt his solid erection, long and hot, pulsing through the layers of clothes.

“Oh my,” she whispered, going well beyond impressed to the realm of awed.

“Give me your mouth, Asia.”

No sooner did she comply, kissing him with all the pent-up desire she suffered, than he turned them both so she was the one pressed to the wall. One of his hands slid down her back to her behind, and he gripped her, lifting, bringing her into startling contact with his erection.

He pressed into her rhythmically, rubbing himself against her, setting her on fire, all the while kissing her, soft eating kisses, deep-driving kisses, wet and hot and consuming.

A rap at the door made them both jump.

Erica called in, “Sorry kiddies, but playtime is over. Time to come in from recess.”

Asia slumped against the wall and groaned. She’d totally forgotten her surroundings!

Watching her closely, Cameron cleared his throat. “We’ll be right there.”

With laughter in her voice, Erica said, “If you wait just two little minutes, the room will be clear and you can escape without notice.” They both heard the sound of her retreating footsteps.

“I’m sorry.”

Asia looked up. “For what?”

Stroking her cheek gently, he said, “I meant only a simple kiss—well okay, hot so simple—but I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

She sighed even as her heart softened. What an incredible man. “Cameron, you called a halt,” she felt compelled to point out, “and I insisted on one more kiss. I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

“Are you sorry?” he asked, and he wore that absorbed expression again, which now looked endearing.

“The truth? Nope.” He grinned at her and she added, “I’ve never done anything like this before. It feels good to be a bit naughty.”

“Yeah?” He tilted his head, studying her. “Any time you wanna get naughty, lady, you just let me know.”

He was full of surprises. “You’re not worried about how it might look to others?”

“You’re worth the risk.”

The things he said played havoc with her restraint. “I’ll keep your offer in mind,” she whispered as she opened the door, and they were both relieved to see the room was, indeed, empty.

Tomorrow, she decided, couldn’t get here soon enough.

Cameron threw his suit coat over the arm of a chair, kicked his dress shoes into the closet and loosened his tie. All day long, his thoughts had centered on Asia. Damn, but she tasted better, felt better, than he’d imagined. He’d wanted to make love to her there in the closet with the two of them standing, a crowd in the outer room.

He closed his eyes a moment and imagined lifting her long skirt, feeling her grip his shoulders and hook her long slender legs around his waist. He pictured her head back, her eyes closed, her lips parted on a raw cry as he pushed into her.

She would be open, unable to meter the depth of his strokes, and he’d take her so long, so deeply, she’d scream with the pleasure of it. His stomach cramped with lust.

Better
not
to use the closet, he decided with a rueful grin. He didn’t want her stifled in any way, not after the two months he’d spent fantasizing about her. At first, it had been simple lust—she looked exactly as he thought a woman should look. Soft, sexy, capable, and her brown eyes were always bright with intelligence. She was friendly, but not flirtatious. Subtly sensual, with only her natural femininity on display. She didn’t flaunt, didn’t go out of her way to enhance her looks.

The more he’d gotten to know her, the more he’d wanted her. But she gave him only casual conversation, allowing him to view her generous spirit, her quick smiles and easy nature from an emotional distance. In the two months he’d known her, he’d absorbed all the small glimpses of her character, which had acted as more enticement. He not only wanted her sexually, he just plain wanted her.

Tomorrow night he’d have her.

He didn’t know if he’d survive that long.

He tossed his tie onto the chair with his coat and reached into his pants pocket for the gift he’d bought her. He hadn’t meant to go shopping, but on the drive home he’d stopped for a red light, and his eye had caught the festive Christmas display in a jewelry store window. Once he saw the bracelet, he wanted it for her.

For a first date, it was a bit extravagant, he thought, but what the hell. He’d known her two months now, necked with her in a closet, fantasized about her endlessly, and besides, he liked to think positive; he had a gut feeling that this would be the first date of many.

He could call it a Christmas gift. After all, he still had hopes of convincing her to spend the day with him.

The exotic burnished gold and topaz-studded bracelet reminded him of Asia’s coloring. As he’d told her, she was far from plain. He put the bracelet back in the velvet-lined box and set it on his dresser, then put the spanking tape into the VCR. He picked up the remote and stretched out in his bed on top of the covers, two fat pillows behind his back, one arm folded behind his head.