Confessions of the World's Oldest Shotgun Bride (7 page)

They stopped outside Kathryn’s door. Tension built in her body and she felt warm all over. Warm from the rum. Warm from Steve’s fingers skimming over her arm. Most dangerously, warm from the conversation, which made her feel close to him as a person, not just a body. Making love now would be the perfect end to a perfect evening.
Please, please, please
, she begged with her eyes.

She touched his arm and looked him in the face. “So, flyboy, where do I stand?”

He smirked. “In the hall.”

“Smartass. Are you coming in, or do you still not want to make love?”

His smile disappeared, and she saw desire as fierce as her own in his eyes. “I never said I don’t want to make love. I said I don’t want to be used.”

“And do you still feel used?”

“That doesn’t seem so important now. I’m open to the possibilities.”

Her pulse raced. Not wanting to give him time to change his mind, she jammed her keycard in the slot, shoved the door open, and pulled him inside.

She needn’t have worried. Once the door clicked shut, he took charge. Pushing her backward, he pinned her against the door with his hard body. Hard in every way, she was happy to note as the heat of his erection reached her through his jeans. One hand tangled in her hair while the other cupped a breast. He leaned down and took her mouth, his tongue occupying her completely, hungry yet tender. Her body tingled all over.

By the time he ended the kiss, she could barely breathe. As her inflamed nipples pressed into his chest, she felt his heart thump in time with hers. “Do me, flyboy,” she whispered.

He shook his head. “When I say it’s time. You’re not calling the shots tonight.”

Oh yes! She’d gladly let him run the show. There was a freedom in giving up control to this man who’d shown himself to be so... well, honorable. It was an old-fashioned word, but it fit Steve Tyler. She slid her hands up his steely arm muscles to his shoulders and smiled. “Tell me what you want.”

His lips twisted into an ironic smile. “I want to know you’ll respect me in the morning.”

“You bet. The check’s in the mail and I’ll respect the hell out of you in the morning. Now get on with it. You know you want it as much as I do.”

He shook his head and frowned. “Damn it, Katie, I’m serious.”

She rolled her eyes. “We’re back to that again? All right, flyboy, seriously—I do respect you. I know you’re one of the good guys.”

Her statement was true. For some reason, she trusted him—trusted him enough to let go of her inhibitions, to be wild and wanton and totally unlike herself. Even knowing that he wasn’t an anonymous stranger, that he knew people in her real world—she trusted him.

“That will have to do for now. Reach into my pocket.”

She did, and pulled out a package of condoms. Her already overheated body temperature rose a few degrees, and her lips spread into a smile. “You tease! You never meant to say no.”

His expression combined equal parts lust and tenderness. “I hoped I wouldn’t have to.”

“So what’s next?”

“Give me your hands.”

What was this about? Obeying his command, Kathryn stuck her arms forward, palms up.

Steve grabbed both of her wrists, easily trapping them in one large fist. His other hand fell to her waist and snagged the red silk scarf she’d used as a belt, undoing the loose knot without any trouble. He wound the scarf around her wrists several times, then let go so he could tie a double knot.

Kathryn knew the smooth fabric wouldn’t hold a tight knot and she could easily escape, but she had absolutely no desire to do so. Making love while restrained was near the top of the To-Do List, just below becoming a human ice cream sundae. Her breath came out in sharp bursts and she murmured, “Wow.”

He raised her hands over her head, his gaze boring into hers. “Spread your legs.”

She did as she was told, her pulse throbbing.

Steve dropped to his knees and maneuvered his head under her dress. He fingered the edge of her panties. “Red satin. You pulled out the heavy artillery. But we don’t need these.” He yanked and the unnecessary garment ripped away in his hand.

At the sound of fabric tearing, Kathryn’s body hummed and she let out a low growl. He slid a hand between her legs, where she was wetter than the Atlantic Ocean. His touch made her gasp and buck forward.

“My sweet, hot Katie,” he whispered.

She ground her crotch against his hand, craving more sensation. “Kathryn.”

“No, Katie. I get to call you Katie in bed.”

“But we’re not in bed.”

“Don’t be so literal. Anywhere I make love to you counts as ‘in bed.’”

“Then we’re going to do it right here?” A full body shudder ran through her.

“Yes, ma’am. If that’s okay with you.”

So this was the meaning of up against the wall. After years of in-bed-in-the-missionary-position sex with Jeff, the idea excited her beyond reason. She drew in a sharp breath. “Oh yes, please. Right here and right now.”

He rose and unbuttoned his jeans. “Then unzip me.”

“But my hands are tied.”

“So use your teeth.”

She knew her eyes must have been as wide as saucers. Could she even make this work? If not, it wouldn’t be for lack of trying. He grabbed her under the shoulders and helped her to her knees in front of him. Leaning forward, she managed to get the zipper’s pull tab between her teeth. The task wasn’t easy since she didn’t have much leverage, but with four or five jerky pulls, she maneuvered the pull tab to the bottom of the zipper. Steve spread the flaps of his jeans. He wore neither boxers nor briefs, and his swollen penis sprung free, bobbing and waving in her face in all its potent glory.

She felt as if she might die, literally die, if she didn’t have him inside her soon. Though she had trouble keeping her balance without the use of her arms, she leaned forward and took his cock into her mouth. The head was smooth against her tongue and tasted of salt. He groaned and squeezed her shoulders. She took him as deep as she could, swirling her tongue around him, sucking and savoring the hot, pulsing feel of him against her cheek.

Then he eased away. “Stop,” he gasped, his voice rough with need. “If you keep that up, I won’t be good for anything else.”

“That would be bad,” she agreed with a shudder. The sharp throb between her thighs was damn near unbearable.

He pulled her to her feet and stepped out of his jeans. After tearing a condom from its foil packet, he rolled it on. Then he grabbed her bare butt cheeks, lifted her off the floor, pressed her against the door, and thrust inside her. She looped her bound arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist, breathing hard. She didn’t care that each rough stroke into her slick channel made her backside bang against the door. No man had ever filled her so completely. She teetered as long as she could on the edge, wallowing in the anticipation, until she couldn’t hold herself back any longer. When she came, it wasn’t the gentle kind of climax she was used to but the tidal wave, fireworks, earth moving kind she’d thought only happened to other people. She shrieked and felt his orgasm mingle with hers. Then she collapsed against him, her screams gradually reducing to moans.

Still holding her up, and still inside her, Steve cradled her head against his chest. God, he was strong. “Are you satisfied, Katie?” he whispered in her ear, his tone smug.

She wanted to make a witty comeback, but she couldn’t get her brain to function. All she could manage was a breathy, “Oh God, yes.”

“That was amazing, but we can do better.”

“How?” Her pulse raced at the possibilities.

“By slowing down. For starters, I want to see all of you.” He set her on her feet and untied her hands, then he pulled at her zipper. Her dress fell away, leaving her naked. He touched a breast. “Oh yes, these are my beauties.”

She was hit with a full body tingle that had as much to do with his words as his touch. Not to mention with the way he stared at her ordinary, average-sized breasts as though they’d suddenly grown to
Playboy
centerfold proportions. Her boy toy was a much bigger rush than alcohol—and would give her a much worse hangover if she let herself get carried away.

“Enjoy them, sweetie.” Kathryn’s voice was thick with lust. His pleasure would be hers too.

“Count on it.” Steve lifted her by the waist and crossed to the bed in three long strides. He laid her on her back and stared down at her as he began unbuttoning his shirt.

She stretched her arms up. “Come to me, you beautiful thing.”

With a smile that turned her bones liquid, he ripped open the last two buttons, tossed the shirt away, and lay on his side next to her. One hand settled in the valley between her breasts, but he made no move for her nipples. Instead, he stuck his tongue in her ear, setting every nerve in her body on fire. She wriggled in delicious agony.

“You are so hot,” he whispered. “I’m going to make you come like a rocket.”

A small mewing sound escaped from her throat.

His mouth began a journey down her body, nibbling on her earlobe, cheek, neck and collarbone. She arched into him and moaned louder, desperately needing his heat to surround her tight bud. Finally his lips found a nipple. He pulled at it with his teeth and then flicked at the rock-hard nub with his tongue. She grabbed his shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh. He switched breasts. The ache between her legs grew so intense it was painful. She managed to gasp out, “What else can you do with that tongue?”

Rather than words, he answered her by sliding her legs wide and positioning his head between her thighs. Just what she wanted—a man of action. His warm, velvet-soft tongue flicked at her clit, making it swell even more as he honed in on the most sensitive spot. She grabbed his head and pulled him closer, wordlessly demanding more pressure.

He gave it, but only briefly. Every time she came close to shattering, he moved his mouth away, then brought it back to build her toward another crescendo, only to remove it again at the last moment. The sadist. Finally she snarled, “Will you just get on with it?” She writhed, close to homicidal with frustration.

His voice was cool and she sensed he was on the verge of laughter. “Ask nicely, Katie.”

She knew when she was beat. “Please, please, please,” she begged.

“That’s better.” He returned to laving her aching sex with his tongue, but this time he added a finger to the mix. In an instant warmth turned to heat turned to fire and her body dissolved into a shivering, shuddering mass.

When Kathryn’s body stilled, Steve propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at her face, his expression full of both heat and warmth. “You are awesome, lady.”

She stretched out like a cat. A Cheshire cat, all smile. “Would you believe my colleagues call me the Ice Queen?”

His mouth dropped open. “Ice Queen? Nothing about you is cold. People really call you that?”

“My enemies do. My allies call me Wonder Woman.”

“Wonder Woman fits. How many times can you come in one session?”

“I don’t know. My previous limit was one,” she admitted.

His eyes widened. “Get out of town! Really?”

“I swear. You make me feel things I didn’t know I was capable of.” And that fact scared the living daylights out of her.

He cupped her cheek with his free hand and leaned forward until their noses touched. “We do that to each other. Admit it, we’re great together.”

She let out a small sigh. “In here, in bed, absolutely. Out there, in the real world, not so much.”

He frowned. “What are you talking about? The age difference? No one gives a damn.”

“Sure they do. You saw how Murph reacted last night. He thought you were making a complete ass of yourself. And my colleagues at the firm wouldn’t take it much better.”

Steve tossed his head back and his frown deepened. “I’d never let Murph give me crap about you. He’s a good friend, and there’s no one I’d rather have my back in a dogfight, but he’s an overgrown kid. There’s no way I’d listen to anything he had to say about my personal life. Do you let your business colleagues run
your
personal life?”

Actually, she did, a lot more than she wanted to admit. She shrugged. “Let’s not ruin a perfect night by fighting.”

To her relief, he let it go. He leaned forward and traced her lips with his index finger as his mouth slid into an impossibly sexy grin. “I can think of a lot better things for us to be doing in this bed.”

“Yeah, like sleeping.”

He lowered his hand to her breast. “Not what I had in mind.”

“I need a rest. You’ve totally wiped me out.”

“Totally?” He slid a finger inside her and found her clit. “That’s not what your body says.”

He was right. She was still wet, and his finger on that sensitive, swollen spot made her tingle all over again. “Please, not yet,” she said, but her voice didn’t sound convincing even to her.

He sat up, reached for the bedside table, and put on another condom. “We aren’t done testing your limits sexually,” he murmured. “Though I’m not sure we’ll ever be done.” He lifted her onto his lap facing him and maneuvered her so he could impale himself on her, thrusting deep into her core. A burst of heat surged through her and her protests died on her lips. Oh yes, it made sense to listen to this kid.

* * *

Kathryn stared out the window of the taxi, barely registering the scenery rushing by, or Steve’s arm resting across her shoulders. Shoulders that grew progressively tighter the closer they got to the airport. Usually the last twenty-four hours of a scuba vacation, when it was unsafe to fly, were tedious. This time she’d loved every minute, even the few spent out of bed. Though she’d misplaced her hard copy of the To-Do List, the electronic copy on her smart phone showed they’d made it through about two thirds of her fantasies. He seemed to know what she craved instinctively.

But now her enchanted moment was over. She’d begun mentally preparing for reality and the challenge ahead, one that would demand every ounce of her concentration.

Oblivious to her mood, Steve kissed her neck.

God, that felt good. If only she could keep him. But the idea was absurd. Playtime was over. With the formal discussions that would decide her fate at Brubaker & Whitley just around the corner, she needed to stay focused. She couldn’t afford the luxury of a full time or even a part time boy toy.