DOTTY (The Naughty Ones Book 3) (3 page)

I know what pissed off looks like on me and it is not good with the carrot top I’m sporting. I go red as a freaking traffic light and I just know my hair’s going a deeper orange than usual.

Dammit.

“Why shouldn’t that piss me off? You’re a rich boy with power, and control of your own life, and you think you can sit here and judge me for being weak when it comes to my family?”

That has him tensing and I see the ripple of his shoulder muscles before he grins and relaxes again, shaking his head at me.

“For a very long time I had no power. No, don’t shake your head at me, Dotty, it’s true. I had to tow the line and stay in the city, doing a job I didn’t want to do for years because I couldn’t leave. I’ve been miserable, resentful and a whole lot of other things for a long time till I got myself into a position where I can finally do what I want. So don’t judge me either without knowing the whole story.”

His words make my anger melt beneath a spate of guilt and remorse, and I look back at his beautiful face with a look of apology.

“I’m sorry, Paul, I shouldn’t judge. I know that looks are deceiving. I just, I know what you must think of me, trust me. My friends have been brutally honest since I confessed what’s been going on in my life and I just, I can’t handle another lecture right now. I’m tired and feeling a little sorry for myself right now.”

“Understandable, and I don’t think poorly of you for wanting to do what you think is right by your family. I have a mom and grandma myself, and there isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do for them. The only difference is that they would never ask me to do something that would make me unhappy. My mom has been at my back every step of the way the last few years, and before that she stood in front of me, protecting me.”

“Must be nice to have so much unconditional love.”

“Don’t you?”

              “I do. Just not from the Harpers, I guess,” I admit, looking away with a whole lot of shame coursing through me.

              “And you still want that?” he asks softly.

“Yes. It’s silly, I know. I mean they’ve never really been the Bradys and I know I shouldn’t expect more. Hell, I knew when I was five years old that my parents aren’t exactly warm people. My two eldest brothers and younger sisters moved away straight out of school to make their own way and get out of the house. Only Daisy still sticks around, and that’s only because her and mother seem to get along so well.”

“Then why?” he asks.

I almost come right out of my skin when I feel his hand engulf mine where it’s laying along the sofa back, his thumb stroking my palm lightly, soothingly.

I feel anything but soothed but I don’t dare pull away as I savor the contact and will my lungs to work.

“I guess I just want something, ya know? I’ve always been a bit of a romantic.” I snort, catching sight of Patrick on the screen as he strokes a hand across Baby’s armpit.

The thought sends shivers through me and I wonder what it would feel like to have Paul Summers touching me that way, so focused on me, stroking my skin with all that need and pent-up lust.

“That’s not a bad thing, Dot, so never say it as if it’s an insult or failing. Romance and dreams are good things to have. I have dreams too, I just always make sure no one else ever has the power to take them from me again.”

“Yeah?”

Somehow I may have misjudged Paul Summers. Where I’d assumed he was some rich billionaire tycoon with a love for deals and power, I get the impression that he’s more simple and complicated than that.

“Sure.”

“How? How do you get them to see you and listen?” I whisper, gulping when his fingers reach the tender skin of my wrist and press into the pulse there.

My heart is beating so hard and fast it hurts my chest, but I’m spellbound as he holds my gaze and seems to look right into my soul.

“You take what you want, Dot. That simple.”

The sexual tension ramps up, hard, fast, and I revel in it even as my breath stalls when he inches closer, stopping an inch away, his breath fanning my lips.

“What if what I want isn’t a good idea?”

I could kiss him right now and I know he’d kiss me back. I know he wants me. Besides him telling me that night in the limo, I can see it in the way his eyes darken and he seems a breath away from devouring me.

“Oh, baby, sometimes the things that are bad are the most worth having. Tell me what you want and I’ll help you have it.”

He’s not talking about dreams or freedom here. It’s all about the heat and lust pulsing between us. For once in my life I want to forget each and every obligation and worry and just go with what I want.

I want to be the dorky girl who can’t dance but gets the guy anyway. I want to have one night of pleasure and dreams, just to chase away the pain in my heart because I know I’ll be losing Mother and Father soon enough, one dream broken and crushed.

              “I want you.”

His eyes go hard and so hot, I feel ablaze with the need settling between my legs, the wet slide of my excitement perfuming the air around us.

Paul’s mouth tips up for the briefest second before he leans in and lays the softest kiss across my lips.

Then he pulls back an inch and gives me a grin.

“You can have me. On one condition.”

Rolling the Dice

Paul

I don’t think I have ever been this nervous in my life, and yet as I force myself not to fall on Dot Harper and screw the hell out of her on her girlie sofa, I still feel more alive than I have in a long time.

I’m about to jump into the deep end, feet first, and even knowing that I have planned things out to the nth degree, I still feel as if I’m making that jump without a parachute.

I like Dot, and the sexual attraction I feel for her goes a long way in assuaging my guilt for what I’m doing right now, but it’s still a big leap from confirmed bachelor to what I’m about to propose.

“Oh God. I sound like such a slut for what I’m about to say.” She moans when the silence drags on, thanks to my need for just a little more time.

Her hands come up to cover her face and I feel my chest squeeze a little for her, for her angst and pain and the dilemma she’s currently in.

Dot’s one of those rare individuals who truly loves and gives of herself, so I understand that right now she not only feels terrible about wanting me while she’s pseudo engaged to Alex, but that she feels like it’s a betrayal to her family.

I honestly like this about her. It’s a quality I have yet to see in most women. Or at least the ones I’ve had thus far. But I need to push her past the point of caring right now because I can’t allow that loyalty and her soft-hearted nature to stand in the way of what I want.

Namely her. Under me. Taking everything I have to give her. The rest is like a bonus, but I am man enough to admit that it’s also partly just an excuse to get her.

I’ve never wanted a woman this much in my life, not even Sarah, and while that scares the hell out of me, it also makes me feel excitement for the first time in a long while.

              “Dot.”

“No! I mean yes. I, darn it. I want you and it makes me feel terrible to say, especially considering that I’m thinking about betraying my family for what is no doubt going to amount to a brief affair at the most, a one-night stand at the least. And that is totally okay because I don’t have it in me to want more right now. I mean, how could I when I feel like I’m about to freaking implode under the pressure?”

She’s babbling right now and so adorable that all I want to do is laugh. I settle for stroking her hair and dissecting what she just said. Dammit. She’s not going to go for what I want, not in this hyper tense state of mind she’s in right now.

But she has to.

All I have to do is get her to relax and want me so badly she’ll do whatever I want her to do. And I know just how to get her to that point.

“Shh, baby, it will all be fine,” I croon, pulling her hands away and brining her into my lap.

It’s so not a good idea considering I’m sporting enough wood to fill a forest at this moment, but I feel her relax the slightest bit and slump into my chest as I stroke her hair and pepper soft kisses into the soft, sweet-smelling strands.

“Your hair smells so good.”

Like lavender and something else I can’t identify. It’s so thick and soft it feels like a swathe of cool silk against me and I have the mental image of all this dark red hair brushing across my skin as she licks her way down to my dick.

“You wouldn’t have thought so an hour ago. I’ve had a really bad week and got told in no uncertain terms that my personal hygiene was not acceptable at the moment.” She snorts, making me laugh.

I love her honesty as much as I love her shyness and the timid looks that come along with her blushes. Oh yeah. Dot and I are going to be wild together. So hot I can’t think of anything right now but getting her where I want her so I can finally relieve the ache inside.

“Come away with me, Dotty. Let’s go away to my ranch in Wyoming and just breathe a little before the world comes crashing in again.”

She seems to stiffen at that and I let her pull away a little to look up at me. Her face is so sad and yearning, I vow that I’ll kill anyone who makes her feel this torn again. She’s soft and sweet. All she should know from others is kindness and adoration and before my time is up with her I’ll have her feeling so needed and wanted she’ll never be able to walk away from me.

“That’s not a good idea, Paul.”

“Why?”

“Because, because it just isn’t. Mother needs me—”

“No she doesn’t, Dot. Her and your father haven’t told you yet, I think because they want to keep you malleable for longer, but according to the doctors she’s in remission and well on her way to a good recovery. She’s known for two weeks now. As for the rest, they can fuck off and wait on you, baby. You look done in and you need a break. Come away with me and have some fun for once. Please.”

Of course it helps that I met Indie at the Delights kitchen earlier when I went by looking for Dot, and she “let it slip” that she’s off for the next three weeks.

“What? She already knows?” she breathes, her eyes going wide before they narrow and I see sparks of anger flit beneath the swirling blue depths.

Thatta girl, Dotty, get mad. Get so mad that nothing they say or do can drag you down.

“I’m sorry. I only know because of Alex.”

Since I bugged his office and phone lines,
I think silently, ignoring the twinge of guilt for my underhanded tactics. They’re necessary, so I’m only liable to lose like ten minutes of sleep over them, if any at all.

“Dammit! I’ve been so worried about this and they know it! I even spent three hours on a freaking cake for her to cheer her up and she’s known this whole time?”

I immediately miss her warmth and the soft press of her against my dick when she springs up and starts pacing, raging the whole while, but I gotta say that nothing is as sexy as Dot muttering to herself when she’s riled.

All that fire. I know just what to do with it.

“Fine. What should I pack, Summers? I think it’s just about time that I took something I want without guilting myself to death about the rest of the world.”

My grin is dark and predatory and I see her catch her breath before I can mask the satisfied lust.

“Just bring yourself, baby. I’ll take care of everything else.”

***

Dot

The absolute lushness of the surrounding scenery is breathtaking as Paul speeds along the road, music blaring in the pickup that was waiting for us when we landed at the private airstrip an hour ago.

The heat is dry and oppressive and so welcome after the dreary weather back home, that I can’t find a reason to complain even as my ass melts into the seat despite the air conditioning running full blast.

After my little rebellion Paul smiled, pecked my lips, damn his teasing hide, and left me alone to pack and rest.

Like I could sleep after he left and the magnitude of my decision hit me. I am for all intents and purposes running away for three weeks of sex and relaxation with the cousin of my fiancé.

The knowledge has me just tingling with delight because, frankly, I don’t even freaking care what anyone else thinks. For once in my life I am doing something without thinking about anyone else. Not my family, not my girls—who, by the way, screamed my ear off on the phone.

It’s all just for me. And if I’m charitable, maybe Paul too, though I highly doubt the man will let an opportunity for his own pleasure pass us by.

Percy, when she ran into the apartment around two that morning, almost killed me when she tackled me where I was trying to go to sleep. I even got a slight smile and head nod from Indie who plunked herself down beside me and barked, “No hugging” when I went in for a cuddle.

We spent a good two hours talking and plotting. Well mostly they were plotting and giving me so much sex advice I think my hair color bled into my skin.

The things those two know about intercourse and oral sex will make my shaved snatch catch fire.

“You okay, baby doll?” Paul asks suddenly, pulling me out of my reverie.

I turn to glance at him and take in his baby-blue T-shirt, worn jeans, and muscular arms. He’s wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses and a cowboy hat that casts his face in shadow so it’s hard to tell what he’s thinking, but I’m so gooey and needy after thinking about the things I’ve been dreaming about that I can’t find a scrap of unease within me.

“All of my cracks are pooling in the worst way, grossness, and I think my skin’s about to melt off but I feel great. Just look at this place.”

He chuckles and I see him take a deep breath, almost as if he’s shedding a heavy load as he continues on before taking a left turn onto a dirt road that seems well maintained, the ruts and holes filled in with gravel.

“It’s beautiful here. I always feel like the world stops turning and I can just be me whenever I come out here.”

I know what he means when a few minutes later we come to a stop outside a huge ranch house made of weathered wood, and a porch that looks like it was made just for me and the knitting circle I’ve always wanted to establish.

I can just see myself sitting there in the early mornings eating breakfast, or in the late afternoons peeling potatoes or something with the silence and peace surrounding me.

The vision is so real I feel a pang of longing for it because I know that three weeks is all I have before I have to trudge back home where I’m a mad woman run ragged by all that life throws at me.

And it’s then that I’ll have to face the music and finally choose between my dreams and what my family expects of me.

              “God, it’s beautiful.”

“Yup. It’s a slice of heaven,” he agrees, jumping out of the truck cab to come around and open my door.

I let him hand me out and even accept his refusal to help with the luggage as I turn in a circle and take it all in.

In the distance I see a large structure that looks to be a barn, and to its left, a couple of yards closer to the house, is another very big building.

There’s also a corral, I think it’s called, and I see horses standing around in the distance, grazing on the green grass.

The smell of the place is fresh and natural with the slightest scent of manure but I like it, I acknowledge, as the peace settles in and just invades my very being.

“Come on, baby doll. Let’s go on in and get settled and have some iced tea before I give you the tour. You’re gonna love the creek and the pastures if you seem so taken with this.”

The house, when he opens the door and stands back for me to proceed him, is breathtaking. It’s got an open floor plan with a huge sitting room TV area to the left, a large dining table after that, and a kitchen that I see beyond, though that is separated by a wall that holds one of those window type things for easy service.

To my left are three doors that must be an office and I don’t know what else.

The upstairs is just as easy and comfortable looking and I almost swallow my tongue when he directs me into a large room that I know must be the master suite what with the size, the huge bed, and a private bath.

The room is light where it faces the front yard and all the afternoon sunshine, and I fall in love with the light earth tones and startlingly bright light blues on sight.

“Oh but I can’t take this room, Paul. It’s the master and you should have it,” I stammer, turning to him, suddenly dry mouthed and shy when my eyes land on the king-sized bed with its ocean of space and soft-looking pillows.

“It is and you will. We’re sharing, so don’t worry your pretty little head none about putting me out.” He laughs, dumping the cases on the bed and coming up behind me.

His hands settle over my middle and I gasp when he pulls me back, my behind coming into contact with the hard evidence of his arousal.

“Paul.”

My voice is a breathy whisper that turns into a mewl when he pushes a hand over my stomach and just barely skims the top of my mound over the pink gypsy skirt I’m wearing.

“Dot. Don’t fight this. We’re both free and clear and we deserve to have what we want without thinking of what everyone else wants. I want you, Dot, so much that I jerk off with images of you and all that glorious red hair spread across my pillows, my chest, any fucking where you’ll touch me with it. It’s gotten to the point where I get hard just trying to remember the way you smell,” he says into my ear, his fingertips skimming just above my clit where I’m already wet and throbbing for him.

“I’m not good at any of this. I’ve had sex a few times but it wasn’t all that explosive, and I’m not exactly a sex siren or anything,” I whisper, shamed at my confession.

I’ve always wanted to be easy and confident with my body like Indie and Percy. Oh, not in the way that you think if it sounds like I’m likening my friends to whores. I’m not. It’s just that I’ve never had that self-confidence and innate sensuality that they have, so I’ve never been that open to the men who seemed attracted to me.

Besides, I’ve just always been looking for “the one,” and that kind of leaves flings and no-commitment affairs off the table for me. Till now. Now all I want is a chance to have some good sex, some time to get out of my head, and maybe a few weeks of shared attraction and closeness with Paul.

“You’re beautiful and smart and one of the sexiest women I have ever known, baby. Don’t get cold feet on me now.”