If You Dare (7 page)

Again he withdrew and Cordelia heard her whimpered protest until he entered again. And this time she couldn’t hold back the words. She wanted him to lose control. Truly lose control.

“Oh God, Joe. Oh…” Her words ended as he worked his index finger between their bodies until he found her clitoris.

Cordelia couldn’t breathe as he softly, softly worked his finger in small circles in perfect tempo to the slow thrusts of his body.

She heard his whispered laugh, heard him say breathe baby, breathe, and then she didn’t hear anything but the rush of her own blood pounding in her ears as she fell apart in his hands once again.

Joe felt her start to come and tried to close his eyes, tried to block out the feelings that washed over him. He wanted this to be unforgettable. He wanted this to be the best night of her life.

But she was so damn tight, so incredibly hot and wet.

And then she was meeting him thrust for thrust, her cries echoing through the room until he couldn’t wait another second.

With a loud moan he let himself be drawn into her orgasm. He threw back his head as he let himself go, and even as his entries tripled in speed, she met him with her own thrusts until finally he couldn’t hold back another second.

When he came, he felt her tighten around his hard penis yet again. Heard her loud cries of yes, yes, yes until he finally lay completely spent and sweat covered on top of her still wet body.

For a few minutes he couldn’t move. Could only silently lie still on top of her, catching his breath and memorizing her scent while his body began to calm.

Ivory soap mixed with fruity bubble bath and musky sex. He’d never smelled a sexier scent. And then she added touch to the whole mix as she let her fingers run up and down his back in a massage that felt a whole lot like that of a well pleasured woman.

He rolled to the side and slipped the used condom off while watching her serene face.

Her eyes were closed, her wet hair covered the pillows and her freshly washed face was flushed from red-hot sex and whisker burn. Damn but that left him feeling like he’d be ready for another round in a matter of minutes.

He watched as she slowly ran her fingers up and over her stomach and rib cage. Catching her hand in his before she reached her breasts, he brought her fingers to his mouth for a kiss.

“Yep. You definitely won.” He spoke the words against her fingers and waited for her eyes to open.

When they did, she looked confused. “Won?”

He nodded and kissed the back of her hand. “I seem to remember saying something about needing to leave.” He took her index finger in his mouth as a self-satisfied smile covered her face.

“Well, I guess I did win.” She gasped as he sucked her finger, and he felt his own self satisfied smile at her response.

 
“So now what, Miss Lewis?” He ran a hand over her rib cage as he asked the question, and for a few seconds, she didn’t say a word, only lay there, eyes closed, bottom lip slipping under her front teeth as goose bumps covered her exposed skin.

She was so sexy, so hot. He almost felt like a teenager as he watched her responding to his touch.
 

And then with a mischievous smile, she opened her eyes and sat up.

Wondering where she was headed, he waited in silence until she sat directly in front of him.

When she pushed his shoulders back, he could only oblige. Letting himself fall back on the mattress, he watched as she straddled his legs.

He wasn’t a bit surprised when she pointed to the pile of condoms he’d thrown on the bedside table.
 

“Judging by the number of condoms you took out of the box, I’d say we’ve got a long night ahead of us, Mr. Sterling. What do you think? Should we try to use them all?”

Joe laughed at her playful banter even as he felt himself grow hard once again. She was absolutely insatiable. No telling where or when this night might end.
 

Before answering her question Joe lifted his hand and trailed it over her bare stomach. When he reached the wet curls between her legs he stopped for just a second and listened as she held her breath. Felt as she pressed into his thigh.

And then even though he knew it was physically impossible he smiled up at her and answered. “Sugar, we should definitely try to use them all.”

A few hours later, Cordelia rolled over on her stomach and pushed herself up on her elbows so she could see Joe better. He trailed a finger down her cheek, and she smiled when he touched the edge of her mouth.

His brown eyes were full of mischief and she wondered what he was thinking that gave them such a naughty sparkle. She decided she’d know the answer very shortly, but first…

She leaned over and kissed his chest before looking into his eyes. “What?”

With a loud sigh he stretched his arms above his head and cracked his knuckles. Cordelia watched his shoulder muscles bunch, remembered the way those fingers had touched her earlier, and very nearly melted.

Then she saw the smile on his face and knew he’d orchestrated the move so she’d forget her question.

Sneaky, sneaky.

“Oh no you don’t.” She pulled the sheet with her as she sat up in the king sized bed. “I saw that look on your face, and I want to know why. You had that same look right before you dunked me.”

At first he didn’t answer. Instead he just tugged the sheet away from her chest, then pulled her down so her head lay level against his heart.

She held her breath as she heard the soft thump, thump, thump of his pulse. She should be used to this awareness, this sensual belonging, but even now, after making love more than once, shoot more than twice, it felt odd to feel her bare breasts pressed against his naked chest.

To know that his body was sprawled out next to hers underneath the soft cotton sheets. To know nothing separated them and that in a matter of moments he could be inside her once again.

The knowledge left her absolutely breathless. Breathless and excited and a little bit afraid.

Maybe he understood her fear, or maybe he was just so completely in tune with her every thought and feeling he wanted her at ease. Whatever it was, Cordelia couldn’t hold back a sigh as he ran his hands over her back in a slow massage before finally answering.

His voice rumbled in her ears as his hands trailed down her back and over her backside. “I was just laying here thinking that my sister’s going to give me hell tomorrow morning. I told her I’d be back in a few minutes to explain why she absolutely did not want to move to Vegas.”

Cordelia couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. Here she was lying practically on top of him, completely sexually sated, and he was thinking about his sister. Hmmm. “So that goofy grin was about your sister?”

He must’ve felt the tension return in her shoulders because this time he did laugh. “Na. That goofy grin had absolutely nothing to do with Taylor.”

Even though his hands felt fantastic, Cordelia pushed up on her arms once again so she could see his face when she spoke. “So what exactly were you thinking?”

His hands trailed down her back until his fingers brushed the tiny heart shaped tattoo on her left buttock. The one she’d come away with the last time she’d taken Irene up on one of her dares. Oh Lord.

“I was just wondering what the heart here means. It was a nice surprise to find. Makes me feel like I’m in on a big secret. Like I’ll be able to look at you any time and know that underneath whatever you happen to be wearing is a cute little pink heart.”
 

Cordelia gasped as he pushed her onto the bed and then bent over and placed his lips right over the tattoo she’d tried to forget until this very moment.
 

“That I’ll know what it tastes like.” He stopped talking and she laughed as his tongue gently licked before he continued.
 

“I was thinking that maybe we should come up with a code word or something. Some little phrase I could say to remind you that I know about your little secret and that I’m very, very impressed.”

And then he straightened back up and rolled over on his side beside her. “I was just thinking about that and wondering why I was so shocked to see it.”

Cordelia tried to reign her thoughts back in. To remind her body that she’d made love and then some tonight. That she really didn’t need Joe to relieve the ache he’d instantly given birth to the moment his lips touched her skin.

She really had to get her thoughts back together. He believed she was a sophisticated lover. A woman who could hold her own with the big city boys any time. Someone like Irene. Wanton, wicked, and loving every minute of it.

Right this minute she was all three.

Clearing her throat she rolled over so she could see him. And then she employed the only trick she could think of. Repetition. “Wondering why you were shocked?”

There. Her words even sounded normal. Not at all breathless.

She bit her lip as he ran a hand through his hair. Good grief. She was truly a lost cause. Just watching his fingers come in contact with his silky smooth hair was driving her crazy.

“Yeah. You know. I was asking myself why I was shocked. But it doesn’t really matter.”

Cordelia agreed. It didn’t matter. Not a bit. In fact, at this point it didn’t matter if he knew the truth about her. That his surprise wasn’t all that out of line. That she wasn’t actually the heart tattoo kind of girl.

They’d made love, and the sex was beyond incredible. She’d lived out her fantasy in one night.
 

Of course he didn’t need to know the truth about her. Not really. This was all pretend. Like playing dress up when she was a kid. Only a billion times better.

But something inside kept her quiet. And when he asked about the tattoo again, she laughed and told him all about the dare and Irene. About how she’d danced on pool tables after one tequila shot too many. About how she’d woken to find the tattoo and a note from Irene telling to live, live, live. But she didn’t let him know how completely out of character for her the night had been.

Because that night wasn’t out of character for the woman she was right then. When she finished telling the story, she decided the sexually aware woman she was pretending to be would never just lay there naked next to her fantasy man.

No. The woman she was letting herself be for this one week would do exactly what she wanted.

And with that thought, Cordelia threw the sheet off them both and straddled his hips with her own. Grabbing another condom off the table, she smiled down at him and proceeded to live like she never had.

Later, Joe stared up at the ceiling. He needed to leave. He had a million things to do and getting Taylor repacked and back on her way home topped the list.

But laying here next to Cordelia felt too good.

Hell. It wasn’t like Taylor was some little kid. She knew what she’d interrupted earlier. And she’d give him hell for sure.

He felt Cordelia stir next to him and he couldn’t hold back a smile as he watched her curl up next to him. Lying there like that she looked adorable and sexy. Innocent and hot.

Completely contradictory.

Damn she was incredible in bed.
 

He still couldn’t believe how many times they’d made love.

He’d never ever felt anything like the sexual attraction he had with her. From the very minute he’d seen her yesterday, he’d wanted her.

Actually having her should’ve sated the need. And while the urgency had abated somewhat, he still felt desire when he looked at her. And when he happened to catch a glimpse of that little tattoo…well, damn. She was certainly one hot little number.

Exactly the kind of woman he wanted. No strings. No messy emotional involvement. No desire for a relationship he didn’t have time for.

Nope. This was all about sex, and he couldn’t be happier.

That’s what he told himself as he watched Cordelia sleep. As he pushed her hair off her face so he could see the curve of her cheekbones.

God, her skin was so white. Today’s sun had barely left a mark on it. Maybe it was that skin that made her seem so innocent.

For reasons he couldn’t begin to explain the thought of an innocent Cordelia had him as hard and ready as if they hadn’t already spent hours making love.

He closed his eyes and forced himself to stop thinking about her. To remember he had obligations. That Taylor was next door and that she’d decided to move in.
 

That he needed to leave.

But just as he moved to slide out of the bed, Cordelia turned and stretched her arm over his pillow. He watched as she snuggled closer. And when the sheet dropped just enough to show her bare breast he knew he’d made up his mind.

To the great relief of his body and the consternation of his mind, he lowered himself onto the pillow and pulled Cordelia into his arms.

Cordelia woke to the smell of sizzling bacon and the sound of a deep masculine voice crooning the lyrics to a country western song.

Man, oh man, oh man. She hugged the pillow Joe had slept on to her body and smiled. He’d stayed all night.

Did it get any better? He made love like a god, looked like a dream come true and he sang too! Cordelia almost laughed aloud with pleasure.

One night and her fantasy week was already living up to every thought she’d ever given it. No, it surpassed anything she’d ever dreamed of.

Her body ached in ways she’d never imagined, and she wanted to shout with joy at every little twinge.

But this naked stuff was only good for so long.

She felt so good. The only thing that would make it better was if she could grab her pajamas from the drawer she’d hidden them in. The soft cotton ones with sleeping cats on them. She’d bought them on clearance because they made her laugh. But they felt pretty darn good too.

Think sexy. Think hot. Live, live, live.

She closed her eyes and listened to Joe sing. She tried to imagine his hands on her body, but they’d made love all night. She felt lovely and comfortable. Like frozen yogurt on a hot day.

Yummy was the only way to describe it. And the pajamas would make her feel even better.