Her Dakota Summer (6 page)

The car door shut with a
thunk
and Michael caught up with her then took her arm.

“What gives with this, Cel? I thought we were getting along okay?”

She pulled her arm out of his grasp, climbed the three concrete steps to the porch and began searching for her keys. “I told you that we do get along. We have a nice friendly relationship. Let’s keep it that way. Friends.” She glanced up at him. “I don’t want to keep you from pursuing a real relationship.”

“Come on, Cel.” He grabbed at her arm again. “Let’s talk about this.”

“Keep your voice down. The boys are asleep.”
Where the heck are my keys?

“I don’t think you’re being fair. We’ve been seeing each since the start of the year. Granted, not as often as I’d like but—”

Celeste faced him square on. “When it comes to what I want to do, being fair to you isn’t in my vocabulary. When we started this, I thought it was clear we were just keeping each other company. I never indicated to you that I wanted to take this any further.” She softened her tone, even though she knew it was more about his pride than her rejecting him. “Good night, Michael.”

“You can’t be serious about this?”

He won’t give up, will he?
“We have to stop wasting each other’s time like this. I’m not looking for a relationship.” She spoke as gently as she could. “Good night.”

His expression hardened. “You’re not listening.”

“Michael.” Her voice was sharp, but a slight twinge of fear lurched in her belly and she stepped back. She closed her hand over her keys in her purse—
finally
—and she squeezed her fingers around the warm metal, prepared to draw them out and use them if necessary.

The front door opened and there was Dakota, clad only in a T-shirt and shorts.

“Celeste, glad you’re here,” he said in a calm voice, eyeing Michael up and down. He turned back to her, concern in his eyes. “Jackson woke up.”

Saved by the nanny.
“Thank you, Dakota.” She stepped into the cool interior of her house, away from the agitated expression of her spurned date.

Michael spoke to her back. “Who the hell is this?”

Celeste spun around, her keys biting into her hand. “Not like it’s any business of yours, but he’s my nanny.”

Michael snorted. “A male nanny? First time I’ve ever seen one. Couldn’t get a real job, son?”

“That’s not your concern.” Dakota made as if to close the door, but Celeste stopped him.

“Don’t call me again. Being friends is off the table.” She let Dakota close the door then.

* * * *

Dakota turned off the porch light. The man could make his way to his car in the dark. His primary concern was Celeste.

Celeste sat on the sofa, her purse clutched in her lap. He switched on a low table lamp and sat beside her.

“Are you all right?”

Nodding, she took a deep breath. “Just getting it together before I go up to see Jackson.”

“Jackson’s asleep.” He wanted to bury his nose in that special place at the bend of her neck, inhale her smell so that she would be with him forever. His dick began to swell, rising and pressing against the fabric of his shorts. He shifted on the sofa, glad of the low lamp light.

Celeste turned to him, a glint of suspicion in her gaze. “Then why did you say…”

“It was the least obtrusive thing I could say to defuse the situation,” he said. “I didn’t know what the guy was going to do next and I wanted to get you into the house as quickly as I could. I’m sorry for the lie.”

Her full lips curled into a half-smile. “Well,” she said. “You are a good attorney, aren’t you?”

“Except for the ‘I’m sorry for the lie’ part.” He touched her arm again, this time letting his fingers rest against her velvety soft skin. Her lips were begging to be kissed and her warm, sugary fragrance was drawing him closer. “You won’t be seeing him again.” He meant to phrase it as a question, but it came out between a statement and a command.

Celeste raised her delicate eyebrows. “How much of the conversation did you hear?”

“Enough,” he admitted. “But not so much.”

This time, she laughed. “Another lawyerly answer.” She tossed her purse onto the coffee table, yawned. “I guess I’d better get to bed.” She shook her head, but made no move to get up. “What a way to end the night.”

They sat there side by side. Adrenaline mixed with arousal flowed through his body and he decided, now or never. He had waited over three weeks for this and didn’t have the patience to wait any longer.

“Let me make it better for you.” He kissed her full lips and pulled her body against his. She tasted both tangy and darkly sweet, the flavors mingling and fueling his ardor.

“Dakota.” She exhaled and up at him. “I don’t think…”

“Hold that thought.” In answer, he kissed her again, and it was better than the first time. He prolonged the kiss, stroking her tongue with his own until she responded by sliding her arms around his neck and pulling him against her.

Dakota strained toward her, every cell in his body wanting, needing her, but she pulled away and slid toward the end of the couch.

“Celeste…” He reached for her, but she got up and crossed the room, away from him. His erection still stood at the ready and he was disoriented and trembling with desire. “Come back. It’s all right.”

Celeste shook her head, hugging her elbows. “There was nothing right about what we just did.”

“What do you mean? It wasn’t okay? You didn’t want me to kiss you?” Dakota felt as if he were being scolded for reaching into the cookie jar, which only made him want the sweet treasures inside more. Her breasts swelled over the low neckline of the sundress and he ached to touch the soft flesh. Instead he balled his hands into fists and squeezed them tightly.

“It’s not that, Dakota, but…” She shook her head again and brought her hand to her mouth. The image of her touching the lips he’d just kissed was more than he could bear and it was only the force of will that kept him seated. To chase after her would only send her running away from him.

“But what, Celeste?” He knew exactly what she was thinking, but he was going to make her say it.

“You know as well as I do. You work for me. We can’t have a relationship. No matter how much we’re attracted to each other.” She sighed. “I thought we had this straightened out.”

“I’ll quit.”

“And leave me in the lurch?” She chuckled. “You better not,” she said.

“I was kidding.” He got up and moved toward her.

When he placed his hands on her shoulders, he was pleased to see that she was shaking. “We can’t.”

He was willing to compromise. “Not now, maybe after…”

“Not ever. You’re too young for me.”

He slid an arm around her waist to pull her closer. “Doesn’t matter,” he whispered.

Celeste ran her fingers through his hair, sending tingles over his body. He wanted her warm and naked against him, whispering in his ear.

“You have beautiful hair,” she remarked.

“You have beautiful everything.” He wanted to kiss her again.

“Dakota.” She sighed and leaned against him for a second. “You have to let me think.”

He watched her scoop up her purse from the table, kick off her shoes and climb the stairs to her bedroom.

“Good night.” She paused mid-way up then turned to give him a little wave.

“Good night,” he said and watched her walk all the way up the stairs.

* * * *

Celeste turned over, flipped her pillow to the cool side and tossed the cover off her legs. The central air conditioner kept the house at an even seventy-two degrees but she still felt sweaty and uncomfortable.

She rolled on her side and stared at the red digits shining from the bedside table.
After midnight.
Jackson and Malcolm had been asleep when she’d checked on them, She’d tucked Jackson’s bear pillow next to him and cleared off the building blocks Malcolm had played with after lights out.

Celeste thought about everything that had happened that day, successfully avoiding the very event that kept her awake and kept a low flame of desire burning in her belly. She sighed and tried to find a comfortable position.

Defiance crept up on her, tapped her on the shoulder. She’d kissed him because she wanted to, because they had been flirting with each other ever since that first day they’d met. But what the hell did it mean? Yes, she could have a little fling with the nanny but would it leave her better or worse off? And the boys. There hadn’t been a man around since she and Charles had divorced three years ago. Michael didn’t count. She’d never brought him around and they only knew of him in passing.

But now there was Dakota. She buried her face in her pillow and groaned. How many times had she dreamed of kissing him, entertained the thought of running her hands through his hair, holding his body against hers…?

Celeste sat up in bed and switched on the bedside lamp. Too much thinking never got anyone anywhere.

So she was going to stop thinking.

After checking on the boys one final time, she tip-toed down the stairs and into the alcove leading to the separate suite. A sliver of light from under the door beckoned to her and she hesitated only a moment before she knocked.

Chapter Nine

Dakota opened the door, an expression of surprise brightening his face. “You changed your mind.” Without waiting for her to respond, he bent his head and kissed the soft curve between her shoulder and her neck. Her skin heated in response, tendrils of pleasure curling in her belly and surging throughout her body. He made her feel wanted, something to be cherished, handled delicately, something that she’d never felt with either her husband or Michael. “I’m glad.” The brush of his lips against her skin made her shiver and her nipples tightened against the thin cotton of her nightgown.

“I’m glad too.” Celeste put her arms around his neck.

He pressed his lips to hers and slid his tongue around her mouth in such gentle sweeps that Celeste’s knees buckled. Warm liquid heat spread through her belly and thighs, radiating from the languid exploration. She moaned and leaned against the wall next to the door, her legs becoming too weak to support her.

He caught her in a strong embrace to pull her body closer, the ridge of his erection nudging against her aching center. One simple kiss and he had her blazing with passion, wanting nothing more than to throw herself down on his bed and allow him to have his way. And why not? She was already playing with fire, why not be consumed?

“What’s this?” He grasped her hand in his and found the foil packets. Her face flamed with embarrassment, but he only smiled and tossed them onto the bed. “Prepared?”

“As always,” she managed before he kissed her again, a small grunt of satisfaction coming from him as he smoothed his hands over her body in slow, delicious strokes.

He thumbed her nipples through her nightgown, gently pinching and thrumming the sensitive peaks until she moaned outright and the dampness began to slide from her pussy. He teased her with his cock, rubbing in slow, lazy circles against her hips, plying her with tender kisses.

Tension stiffened her spine, causing her to thrust her aching body against his, silently begging for release. The skin of his torso and chest was smooth, the muscles contracting under her fingers as she traced the hard landscape. He was young and nothing was going to come of this, but she was going to ignore the voice of reason, just this once.

“Stop thinking. I can feel your body tensing up.” He clutched her bottom, ground against her. “Think about this, think about how much I want you.” He dipped his head and nuzzled her breast, licking at the sensitive nub through her nightgown.

She cried out then, driven beyond any further reason, beyond any desire or thought to say no. Her body trembled uncontrollably and she was glad of his steady guidance to the rumpled bed that smelled of fabric softener and him.

He fumbled with the tiny buttons of the nightgown and she helped him, pulling it up over her head and tossing it to the side. Her panties were next. They both pulled at the material until those, too, lay on top of the discarded nightgown.

The look of appreciation in his eyes was embarrassing and she quickly wiggled under the sheet. Yes, she took good care of herself, eating right and exercising, but she hadn’t been naked in front of anyone but her mirror for the past two years or so.

A smile made his eyes twinkle. “Don’t be shy.”

Celeste raised an eyebrow. “Then you get naked too and we can both not be shy together.”

Without another word of encouragement, he obliged, stripping off his shorts and tossing them to the side. Celeste sat frozen, struggling to keep her face neutral. She had seen her share of cock in her time, but this was the first that she’d seen that actually made her bite her lip in anticipation.

He grinned at her and grabbed his cock, stroking it until a bead of pre-cum glistened at the tip. “Do you like it?”

She gazed up at him then back down at his erection, clenching her pussy at the thought of having him inside her.

“Let me get a closer look.”

She met him at the edge of the bed, the sheet falling away from her own naked body as she took him into her mouth, humming in appreciation at his sweet taste. She stroked his velvet skin with her tongue, alternating sucking and licking it around the head until she heard him moan with ecstasy.

Hot desire licked at her sex and she pressed her eyelids shut as she sucked harder, tugging at him with her lips and teasing him with her tongue. She scooted closer, taking in even more of his rigid flesh to the back of her throat, enjoying the pleasure she knew she was giving him.

“Celeste.” He stroked her hair, stilling her movement. His voice caught in his throat. “Wait, please.” Gently, he disengaged her then eased her back on the bed, straddled her. “My turn.”

He parted her legs and arrowed his tongue directly onto her clit, stroking the tiny, sensitive nub until her back stiffened and she writhed against the sheets. The ebony curtain of his hair fell across her thighs and she reached down to tangle her fingers in the smooth strands.