Hard to Handle (8 page)

The first brushes were light, hesitant, and tentative, testing the waters, confirming the welcome. She felt soft and so sweet. Addictive.

She moaned, deep in her throat, and Sam was a goner.

CHAPTER 8

Kaylee was floating on a cloud of sensations. Every part of her body was alive and tingling with anticipation, craving something so different than she'd experienced before. Sam Mackenzie had shown up, out of nowhere, in the most chaotic moment of her life, to create even more havoc.

His lips gently stroked hers, so deliciously, like the first taste of a decadent dessert that was so irresistibly bad. Sinful. Kaylee leaned into the warmth radiating from his body, and opened her mouth to stroke her tongue over his lips.

He responded by cupping the back of her head gently and pulling her even closer. The kiss quickly became hot, deep, and wet.

“Are you okay?” Sam asked, pulling back an inch. “Do you want me to go?”

Kaylee tried to remember that this was an experiment, an effort to further understand her instant and insane attraction to this man. Just a sample of raw, unfettered passion. And Sam's hesitation was the opportunity to stop it, now, before it went too far.

Sighing deeply, she placed both hands on his chest in an effort to push back from the embrace and end the moment.
Oh my
. The thick, rigid muscle jumped under her palms. Kaylee swept widespread fingers over the impressive contours of his body as a fresh wave of heated arousal spread down her legs.

“Yes,” she finally replied in a low, throaty voice. “Stay.”

Sam buried his fingers deeper into her hair, tugging a little so she looked up at him. His blue eyes were dark and stormy, and his lips flared sensually. God, he was so gorgeously masculine. Like a modern-day Viking, she thought. Then they were kissing again, with tongues intimately entwined. Kaylee was now drowning in arousal, and the ability to think about the consequences slipped away.

“Let's get you off that ankle,” he suggested, then effortlessly lifted her into his arms. In a blink, she was sitting upright again on the edge of the sofa, with Sam on his knees in front of her. He pulled her into his arms so she was pressed against his chest and cocooned within his thick arms.

“You smell great,” he whispered, kissing and teasing her earlobe “What is it?”

“Chanel,” Kaylee gasped.

“It's pure barry.”

“What?” she said, confused but incredibly distracted by the path his hands were taking down her neck and along the line of her collarbone.

“It's fantastic,” Sam explained with his accent even thicker.

He kissed her again, stroking deep into her mouth with his long, firm tongue. Then those big hands were gliding gently down her back, teasing her sides before slipping under the edge of her top. Kaylee gasped loudly as the touch of his fingers on her bare flesh made her eager with anticipation. She pulled back from their embrace to quickly pull the soft T-shirt over her head, tossing it aside. Sam leaned back to run his eyes over her bra-covered breasts, and Kaylee tried not to feel self-conscious about her average size. She held her breath as he slowly brushed his hands over the delicate lace and exposed curves.

“You're beautiful,” he whispered.

She relaxed a bit and smiled teasingly. “You like?”

“Oh, I like very much,” Sam replied in a serious tone, his eyes again locked with hers. “The whole package is pretty incredible.”

Kaylee would have giggled, but they were kissing again. The temperature in the room quickly rose several degrees. Her bra soon followed the top, and then she spent several minutes slowly pulling off his shirt.

“Oh my,” she gasped at the sight of his naked torso. He was all hard muscle with strong, broad shoulders, square chest muscles and a washboard abdomen. Kaylee stroked her hands over his fair, sun-kissed skin, savoring every defined contour. He watched her movements with heavy-hooded eyes and an intense gaze, then groaned when she brushed her knuckles over the button of his pants. She slowly undid the fastening, and slid the zipper down. But Sam took both her hands before she could continue her exploration.

“I want to touch you,” he growled. “Everywhere.”

Sam used his hold to smoothly turn her body and help her recline until she was lying flat on her back along the length of the sofa. They both worked to remove her loose pants and underwear until Kaylee lay naked before him, arms folded loosely over her head. She should have felt awkward and exposed, but there was only anticipation and heavy, throbbing arousal.

From head to toe, Sam worked his way down the lines of her body, briefly stopping at every peak and valley to explore the texture and taste, and eliciting a variety of verbal responses. She was almost panting by the time he stroked over the balls of her feet and the sensitive insteps.

“Turn over,” he instructed, then helped her roll onto her stomach. Kaylee closed her eyes and turned her head to the side, facing him. While he nibbled on the line of her cheekbones, his hands stroked soothingly up and down her back until he reached the deep curve of her spine and the swell of her behind.

“So sweet,” he mumbled, running his lips along the top of her shoulder. He palmed the plump cheeks of her ass, massaging the flesh, then slid one of his hands along the underside and between her thighs.

“Yes!” Kaylee gasped, so ready for his touch that she could hardly breathe.

“Open for me,” he urged.

She spread her legs until one was hanging off the edge of the couch. Then he caressed the seam of her mound, teasing the slick lips until he was within the delicate, inner petals and exploring her secrets. Kaylee groaned with delight, gripping the fabric of the cushion beneath her. Sam reached farther to brush over her clit, then circled it repeatedly with gentle pressure meant to drive her over the edge.

“God, yes . . .” she mumbled low and urgent.

“Like this?” he whispered, rubbing a little harder and faster.

“Ahhh-huh—” Kaylee moaned, no longer able to use real words.

“Hmmmm,” Sam moaned as he used his other hand to slowly stroke a finger into her tight, wet sheath. “So sweet.”

Kaylee couldn't do anything but bury her face into the couch in an effort to stifle the desperate groans of excitement. The magic he was weaving was so intense it was almost unbearable. Her need built and built to the height of arousal until she was almost gasping for air. Then she peaked with a sharp intensity and made the slow, shuddering descent back to reality.

Sam was chuckling. Once she was capable of moving, Kaylee turned her head and peeled her eyes open to look at him.

“Are you laughing at me?” she demanded, too lethargic to really get offended.

“I'm laughing with you,” he explained with a big, boyish grin. “That was spectacular.”

“Well, I have to agree with you, but you really shouldn't be so boastful.”

“No, that was all you, sweetheart. I was just along for the ride and very glad to be invited.”

Kaylee gave him a lazy smile and sighed deeply. He continued to stroke her back and the curve of her ass with long, relaxing brushes. She felt comfortable and so deliciously satisfied it was easy to forget that he was almost a stranger. Eventually, she turned onto her side and sat up. Sam immediately pulled her back into his arms for a deep, arousing kiss.

“Do you have any condoms?” he asked.

The question reminded her that there was so much more to be discovered with this man, and new warmth bloomed in the base of her stomach.

“In my bedroom,” she told him.

“Should we relocate there?”

“Seems prudent.” The next moment, he lifted her by the waist and over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, with her bare ass in the air. “Hey!”

Sam wrapped his arm around her thighs to stop her struggling movements.

“Relax,” he instructed with a rich chuckle. “We wouldn't want you to re-injure your ankle.”

Kaylee sighed loudly and tried not to move around as the blood rushed to her head.

“You don't even know where you're going,” she protested, though he was almost there anyway.

“I think I can figure it out.”

A few seconds later, he lowered her across the width of her bed.

“In the side table?” he asked. She nodded, raising up on her elbows to look at him, still half naked and incredibly hot.

Sam opened the small drawer and paused, then pulled out a small, rubbery device and inspected it with obvious interest. He pressed the small button at the bottom and the toy vibrated with a low, quiet hum. He looked back at Kaylee with his eyebrow raised and a huge smile on his face. She shrugged back, ignoring the flush of embarrassment that spread across her face and down her chest. Her nipples hardened in response, recapturing his attention. He put the toy back and took out a small packet of protection instead, while his eyes remained fixed on her like a physical touch.

“I want you,” he growled, quickly stripping off his pants and underwear. “I want to taste you, touch you everywhere all over again. I want to be inside you.”

Kaylee was speechless as he stood in front of her and rolled on the condom. His eyes burned with intensity, and his naked six-foot-four body was pure, hard perfection. She swallowed, eyes wide, as he stepped between her legs and stroked his hand along the inside of her thighs. One hand gripped her hip and pulled her to the edge of the mattress while the thumb of the other hand brushed over the silken flesh of her pussy. She could only watch with intense fascination, her legs now anchored around his lean waist. Then he replaced his finger with the broad tip of his penis, stroking over her tight bud. Kaylee turned her head, back arched from the need that radiated through her body.

“Kaylee,” he growled roughly. She looked back into his eyes as he slid slow and sure into her body. “Oh yeah—”

“Sam!” she gasped when he reached full depth, the angle hitting a spot she hadn't even known existed.

“Yeah,” he repeated as he pumped deeply again and again until they were both damp with sweat. Kaylee could only pant from the intensity on his penetration. Then he was rubbing her clit in that gentle circular caress, and it was too much, too good.... His stroke was now longer, faster, driving them toward an incredible peak.

“Oh god! Oh god! Sam—!” she shouted minutes later when the orgasm vibrated throughout her entire body.

He froze for a brief moment, then fell forward, pulling her close so their torsos were completely fused. His body was shaking as he came, as he chanted her name with his lips next to her ear.

Kaylee was half asleep when she felt him leave the bed at some point, returning a short time later to settle them both under the sheets with her back spooned against his front. When she woke, dawn was breaking and Sam was gently stroking her breasts. His hot and very hard erection pressed against her behind.

“Morning,” he whispered while snuggling into her neck and brushing his lips along her neck. “Did you sleep well?”

Kaylee smiled. She felt completely rested and very content.

“I did. What time is it?”

“Early,” he replied. “You don't need to get up yet, but I have to get going.”

She wiped her eyes and turned so she was on her back. Sam smiled down at her with his short, dark blond hair in tousled spikes and his blue eyes glittering. He was still on his side, and one of his hands now rested softly on her lower abdomen.

“Okay,” she acknowledged, not sure what was supposed to happen next. “Help yourself to anything in the bathroom.”

“Thanks. How's your ankle feeling?”

She tested it, rotating her right foot.

“Better. It hardly hurts.”

“Good. Then we can go out for dinner. Tomorrow night?”

“Oh. All right.”

“Send me a note later and let me know the best time,” he instructed.

Then he kissed her, hard, his tongue sweeping deeply to entwine with hers. “Go back to bed.”

Kaylee didn't think that was possible. But after listening to his movements for a few minutes, she nodded off for another couple of hours.

They exchanged a string of text messages over the next day and a half, deciding on the logistics of their next evening together. Every time Kaylee's phone vibrated with a new notice, her heartbeat increased and she smiled with anticipation. For a few dozen hours, she allowed herself to live in a small bubble, where she was just a young woman starting a new relationship with an insanely hot guy. No work drama, family obligations, other attachments, or looming inconveniences like ending an engagement and the cancellation of a lavish, high-society wedding that had taken months to plan. There would be plenty of time for all that once Evan returned from overseas on Friday.

Until then, Kaylee chose to be completely selfish for the first time in her life, and steal a few more hours with Sam. Because it would likely be over once she told him everything.

She worked from home again on Wednesday and Thursday. Her dad had called her on Monday night to let her know Jason Holt would leave the paper, effective immediately, and Mark McMann would manage the local news desks until a new editor was hired. Of course, Kaylee asked if Jason's leaving had anything to do with what she had told him on Friday, but George Clement was very good at executive explanations, only saying that the timing was a coincidence and the decision had been in the works long before then.

Kaylee was skeptical, but too relieved to press further. Mark was a good man to work for, and he might consider returning her to city politics. She decided to wait a couple of days for things to settle down again before she raised the subject.

Thursday evening, at twenty minutes after six o'clock, Sam knocked on her apartment door. She looked at herself in the bedroom mirror one last time, wearing a short navy-blue dress, tailored to fit her body perfectly, and tawny-brown leather pumps with five-inch heels. Her hair and makeup done flawlessly to look like it had required minimal effort. She took a deep breath and opened the door.