Inked in the Steel City Series (26 page)

“Don’t think I haven’t considered it,” she said, eyes flashing, “and
don’t
try to change the subject. You’re not too good for me Jed – the idea is ridiculous. So…” Her nerve seemed to falter, and she let her gaze drop. “So don’t be sorry about the kiss. I’m not.”

A part of him
wasn’t
sorry, and that part was rapidly fighting its way to the top. “You’d been drinking and—”

Karen stepped into his personal space as he repeated his earlier argument, struggling to keep a handle on his self-restraint.

A determined look flashed in her eyes as she advanced on him, and he only had a second to wonder what the hell she was doing before reality crashed down on him in the form of her mouth against his.

He hadn’t bent, hadn’t bowed his head to facilitate what was happening, but she was tall enough that she only had to rock up onto the balls of her feet to reach his mouth. And holy hell, she was a more aggressive kisser than he remembered – there was an edge of fierceness to her kiss, a demand made clear in the way her lips worked against his, surprisingly firm, and then soft…

Her aggressiveness faded as he caved, giving in to the heat and pressure of her mouth, of her body against his. The passion was still there, but they were equals as he wrapped his arms around her, just like he’d imagined. Thoughts of resistance were as far away as the moon as her breasts swelled against his chest, and he could feel the soft flesh conforming to his body. Was he just imagining it, or could he feel her nipples beneath the light sweater she wore?

Imaginary or not, the sensation had him hard as a rock.

“There,” she said when she pulled away a full minute later. “I haven’t been drinking. Well, okay, I drank at a winery this morning, but that was hours ago.”

She was still right up against him, which left the hard rod of his erection stiff against her belly. Her gaze dipped in that direction momentarily, then she met his eyes. “So where does this leave us?” Her lips were swollen from contact with his, and they quirked in a knowing smile – like she knew he couldn’t feign resistance.

“I don’t know, but I like where we are right now.” He rocked his hips just a little, barely able to suppress a moan when his dick slid against her belly. So many layers of clothing between them, and still, the distant friction threatened to kill him with desire. It had been so long, and Karen was like a dream come to life, with her insane curves, swollen lips and pin-up girl red hair…

But she was more than that, too. She was someone he cared about, someone who did not deserve to be dragged down onto a floor that had apparently been violated by the canine star of a recent photo shoot. He pulled away, ignoring the part of him that ached when he lost contact with her body. “If you really want to do this,” he said, meeting her eyes, “we should do this right. Can I take you to dinner?”

Her eyes lit up in a way he’d never seen them do before. “Yes.”

The part of him that knew he wasn’t who she deserved had drowned in her allure, in the reason-crushing hotness of her kiss. And as she slipped one hand into his and grabbed her purse with the other, he couldn’t deny that this was exactly what he wanted.

* * * * *

“Can I interest either of you in one of our new after-dinner drinks?” The waiter gestured toward a small fold-out menu propped on the table. “The sweet blackberry wine is—”

“No thanks,” Jed said without glancing at the menu. “Just coffee. And maybe some dessert?” He glanced in Karen’s direction.

Karen’s heart skipped a beat, as it always did when they made eye contact. “Sure.” Would it always do that, or would she become used to his company, to his attention? Maybe if she
really
got to know him, her nerves would settle down. Thoughts of exactly how she might go about doing that invaded her mind, vivid and persistent.

As it turned out, neither of them was picky. They settled quickly on the cheesecake.

“I hope you don’t mind that I said no to drinks. Whatever happens – I want it to be because you want it, and I don’t want to have doubts afterward.”

A wave of disbelief crashed down on her. Did he really worry that if she had a glass of wine, she’d have some epic lapse in judgment and end up in some intimate situation she hadn’t really desired? If only he could read her mind… “It’s fine,” she said simply, aware that they were surrounded by dozens of other people. “I’d rather have cheesecake than drinks anyway.”

It was no lie – cheesecake was dessert gold, as far as she was concerned.

He smiled a little at that. “Me too.”

She grinned back. “See? We really are compatible. I don’t know what you were worried about.”

The platter the waiter returned with held the single biggest piece of cheesecake Karen had ever seen. Even shared between a couple, the portions were generous. At first she wondered whether they’d finish it, but her doubts evaporated as soon as the first bite touched her tongue.

The cheesecake was rich and silky, so dense that just one bite felt heavy on the end of her fork. And the sweet-tart strawberry sauce that had been spread across the surface… “Oh my God, this cheesecake is amazing.”

“It’s pretty damn good,” Jed agreed a moment later, and they slipped into a comfortable silence.

After Jed paid the check and they left the restaurant, the sense of decadent pleasure inspired by dessert remained. When he pressed a hand gently to the small of her back, the feeling gained an edge of blistering anticipation.

Was all this really happening? After months of fantasizing, tiptoeing around and generally hoping to hell that something more than conversation would unfold between them…

“Where to?” he asked when they slipped into his car.

Karen looked him in the eye and gave him her best attempt at a seductive smile. It felt more awkward than siren-like, and her cheeks heated, but she held his gaze. “I’m open to suggestions. And I’m not ready to go home.”

The moment of silence that followed was so heavy she could feel it weighing down on her shoulders, her breasts – her entire body. The pressure was teasing and inspired thoughts of what the weight of Jed’s body might feel like against hers.

Was she being brazen? Maybe. But being with Jed – going out with him – didn’t feel sudden. She’d been waiting for so long; she’d been admiring him for months. She wanted him, bad – more than she could remember ever wanting anyone else. With any luck, by the time the night was over, he’d realize that, and they could put his absurd doubts behind them.

“We could head back to my place,” he said, turning the key in the ignition. “Or we could see a movie.”

“I like your first suggestion.” Butterflies took flight inside her belly as she spoke, and she sat a little straighter in her seat, practically on the edge of it as she imagined where they were headed.

“I have an apartment above Hot Ink. It’s nothing special. You sure you want to head there?” He looked away from the road as he rolled to a stop at the edge of the parking lot.

An electric thrill went through her as his eyes locked with hers. They appeared darker than usual, and they radiated an intensity he’d kept out of his voice.

“Yes.” She gripped her purse strap, imagining the feel of Jed’s hair between her fingers instead. It was just long enough to run her hands through, to grip – a fact she’d been conscious of ever since the first time they’d met.

CHAPTER 4

As Jed pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street, the car’s engine purred, sending slight vibrations through the seats and Karen’s body. They struck her breastbone, causing it to tremble beside her heart. The sensation was faint, but steady. She let it course through her system, calming her whirling thoughts.

Jed helped her out of the car when they arrived and together, they made their way to Hot Ink’s darkened display windows. The shop had closed an hour ago, and it was strange to walk through the dimmed interior, past empty chairs. There was no telltale buzz of a tattoo in progress, no chatter. Being alone with Jed in a place she was used to seeing full of familiar faces sent a frisson of awareness down her spine.

As they neared a narrow staircase in one of the shop’s back corners, she glanced at the door to the dual-purpose office and storage area. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she thought of all the times she’d made excuses to see him there, the little ways she’d found to prolong their conversations.

“Careful – the stairs are a little steep.”

They were narrow, too – a fact that created a sense of instant intimacy as they climbed toward the second floor.

Jed unlocked the door at the top of the flight of stairs, and then, Karen was staring square into the home of the man she’d been fantasizing about for months.

She’d spent so much time wondering about him and his life outside of work that everything was interesting, from the little white kitchen table to the red tea kettle sitting on the stove. She would’ve pegged him as more of a coffee drinker, and discovering something unexpected about him, however trivial, gave her a thrill.

“Nice apartment,” she said, and meant it. The building was an older one, and she loved that. His place had so much more character than her modern apartment did. Glancing around, she took in what looked like hand-carved crown molding and the arched doorway that led from the combined kitchen and living area to a hallway.

“It’s small, but it’s not like I need more room.” He closed the door behind them, and Karen savored the small sound that announced that they were alone together in his home.

It happened too fast for her mind to process – one moment they were standing at the edge of the kitchen tile, and then they were in each other’s arms, their bodies suddenly and completely entwined. He was hot and already hard against her, causing her head to spin as he pulled her tight against his body, making the embrace they’d shared in her photography studio seem chaste in comparison.

They kissed so deeply and so hard that her lips ached, but that didn’t stop her from wanting it to last forever.

It didn’t, though. Eventually they pulled apart just enough to breathe, just enough to be able to meet each other’s eyes.

There was no question of what would happen next. Karen’s entire body was tingling, burning up under the weight of delayed gratification. After all, she’d been imagining this for months. And he was firm against her, his every muscle taut with tension.

Wordlessly, he led her down the short hall and into what seemed to be the only bedroom.

The walls were a dark grey and there was a window above a queen sized bed neatly made with a dark blue comforter. Those things were all she could spare the presence of mind to notice as Jed picked her up like she weighed nothing, swinging her onto the bed and going down with her.

The mattress was softer against her back than he was against her front, and she relished being pressed down into it. When he slipped a hand beneath her sweater, the heat of his fingers against her belly made her nipples go hard, stiffening even more as he slid his hand higher.

She mentally cursed her bra when he caressed her breast, pressing his palm against the swell. Her nipple was aching inside the cup, and having her skin separated from his when he was so close made her want to sigh in frustration. Instead, she snaked a hand around his body, pressed it to the back of his head and buried her fingers in his hair, just like she’d imagined.

The feel of it between her fingers was surprisingly silky, and the solid curve of his skull beneath stood in tantalizing contrast. She curled her fingers, burying them deeper as she exerted pressure, pulling his mouth down to hers.

He came willingly – it wouldn’t have worked if he hadn’t; he was so much stronger than her. When their lips met, they picked up right where they’d left off, with mouths open and tongues entwined. He flexed his hips against her and his hard cock slid up the inside of her thigh in a promising motion. Even through his jeans and her pants, the feel of it blazed a trail of heat that burned all the way to her core.