Tempt Me at Midnight (12 page)

“I won’t,” she promised, her voice breaking with emotion. There was nothing about this night she could, or would, ever forget.

As his thrusts came harder and faster, Quentin took her mouth in a searing, ravenous kiss that shook her down to her very soul. Pressure built in her womb, a storm gathering force.

Lifting his head, he gazed deep into her eyes and whispered, “Fly with me, Lexi.”

And she did, the two of them shattering together and soaring higher than any hot-air balloon could ever take them.

Later, after another round of intense lovemaking, they lay spent in each other’s arms, sweat cooling on their bodies, their legs twined beneath the covers that Quentin had pulled up to their waists.

In quiet wonder Lexi explored him, running her hands over the hard-honed muscle that ridged his chest and abdomen. His golden skin was rich and beautiful, as warm and smooth as granite wrapped in silk. A faint smile touched her lips as she traced the ink outline of the Omega Psi Phi tattoo that curved around his bicep. She remembered how proud he’d been the day he received it, remembered the way she’d teased him as she helped him clean and care for the fresh wound.

Looking up into his face, she found him watching her intently beneath the long, thick fringe of his lashes. “So much history between us,” she whispered.

His gaze softened. “I know. It’s amazing.”

“It is.” She sighed contentedly. “Do you really think friends make the best lovers?”

A lazy smile touched his lips. “I think we just proved that, don’t you?”

She blushed, burying her hot face against his chest.

He laughed, a deep, husky rumble that vibrated through her body. “Don’t get all shy on me now.”

“I’m not.” She muffled a smile against him. She loved the way his skin smelled—a hint of spice from his cologne, mingled with a musky layer of sweat from their fevered lovemaking. She wished that she could bottle the intoxicating scent. She wished she could preserve everything about this incredible night.

Quentin tightened his arm around her, snuggling her closer to his warm body. As she tucked her head beneath his chin, he played with her hair, running his fingers through the short, layered strands.

“I really like your hair this way,” he murmured.

She grinned. “It grew on you, huh?”

“What do you mean? I’ve always liked it.”

“Really? I didn’t think you were too crazy about it at first. You kept staring at me funny.”

“That’s because I was in shock. It was a dramatic change. Your hair went from here—” he drew a line just below her shoulders “—to here.” He touched the nape of her neck. “It caught me by surprise. But I really like the haircut, Lex. It’s sexy as hell, and it brings out those stunning eyes of yours.”

Warm pleasure tingled through her veins. She smiled against his chest. “I’m glad you feel that way. It would’ve been nice to hear this, say, a year ago, but better late than never.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry. I thought I told you.”

“Nope.” Apparently there was a lot he hadn’t told her, she mused, remembering the story he’d shared about the first time they met.
She was searching for someone, and I took
one look into her eyes and hoped it was me.

For as long as she lived, she would never forget those words.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Quentin murmured, lazily stroking a hand up and down her spine.

“What?”

“When I kissed you at the New Year’s Eve ball, you didn’t know it was me. So who
did
you think was kissing you?”

Her face heated at the memory. “I don’t know,” she mumbled.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know who I thought was kissing me.”

“Are you sure? Maybe you thought it was some guy you’d been flirting with all night.”

Hearing the jealous edge to his voice, Lexi laughed. “That’s right. We’d planned to meet for a secret rendezvous at the stroke of midnight. But
you
came along and ruined everything.”

Quentin’s hand stilled on her back. “That’s not funny, Lex.”

“Oh, relax. I’m just teasing you.” She sighed deeply. “The truth is, I’d been feeling a bit sorry for myself that evening. No matter how fabulous a New Year’s Eve party is, it’s easy to get lonely if you don’t have a date. That’s why I was out on the terrace.” She hesitated, then added shyly, “When you took me into your arms and kissed me, it just seemed so romantic and exciting. What girl doesn’t fantasize about being swept off her feet by a mysterious, dashing stranger?”

Quentin said quietly, “And then you realized it wasn’t a stranger after all.”

“Mmm.” She lifted her head and met his steady gaze. “For the record, that was the most amazing New Year’s Eve kiss I’ve ever received.”

He smiled softly, brushing his thumb across her lower lip. “I’ll never forget it. Or this night.”

Neither will I,
Lexi thought as their mouths met in an achingly tender kiss.
Neither
will I.

T
he next morning, Lexi was awakened by the warmth of Quentin’s lips gently nibbling her earlobe. She sighed, a slow, delicious languor spreading through her limbs.

“Good morning.” His low, sleep-roughened voice rumbled against her ear, curling her toes and sending tingles to her stomach.

“Good morning.” Without opening her eyes she stretched, rubbing her backside along his warm, muscular body spooning hers.

Quentin groaned, his penis hardening against her bottom. “See what you started, woman? And I was gonna let you sleep in this morning.”

“How? By assaulting my earlobe?”

He chuckled softly, nuzzling her neck. His warm breath made her shiver. “Take a shower with me.”

She groaned protestingly. “But I want to sleep in. You promised I could.”

“I changed my mind.”

“Too bad,” she retorted with a smile. “It’s Tuesday. I don’t have class until this afternoon. It’s not
my
fault you have to be at the office at the crack of dawn, Counselor.”

“Don’t make me seduce you,” he warned silkily, brushing the head of his erection across her butt. As heat bloomed between her thighs, she laughed and scooted out of reach.

Growling softly, Quentin hooked his arm over her waist and turned her around to face him. Dark stubble covered his jaw, making him look so rakishly sexy her breath caught.

He leaned down and kissed her, a sweet, soft kiss that opened up something deep inside her. Something she was afraid to identify.

Lifting his head, he smiled into her eyes. “Hey, sweetness.”

She smiled shyly. “Hey.”

“Sleep good?”

“When? You kept me up practically all night.”

He grinned wolfishly. “I didn’t hear you complaining last night.”

And he never would, she thought. The man knew how to handle his business, and then some.

“So, listen, I was thinking we could stay in tonight,” he suggested, idly running his fingers through her tousled bangs. “Maybe order some takeout and rent a movie.”

Striving to match his casual tone, Lexi said, “Sure. That sounds like a plan.”

“Good.” His eyes glinted. “And I want a rain check on that shower, woman.”

“So bossy,” she grumbled.

“Damn straight.” He gave her a quick, hard kiss, then rolled away and swung his long legs over the edge of the bed. As he sauntered lazily to the master bathroom, Lexi propped her head in her hand and shamelessly admired the view of his naked backside—

wide shoulders, round butt, powerful thighs and toned calves.

Um-mmm-umph!

As he disappeared into the bathroom, she let out a lusty sigh and fell back against her pillows with a lascivious grin.

Moments later she heard the blast of the shower. When Quentin began crooning an off-key version of “A Whole New World,” she stared at the door in delighted surprise, then dissolved into laughter.

As she snuggled back under the warm covers and tried to grab a few more winks of sleep, Quentin’s cell phone buzzed on the bedside table, signaling that he had an incoming text message.

Lexi ignored it and closed her eyes.

Half a minute later, she heard another buzz. She opened her eyes and leveled a glare at the phone. It wasn’t his BlackBerry, which he reserved for business. This was his personal cell phone, so whoever was trying to reach him would just have to wait.

Another incoming message sounded.

Heaving an exasperated breath, Lexi sat up and grabbed the phone, intending to turn down the volume. But when she saw a woman’s name on the caller display screen, she paused.

Jocelyn—whoever she was—had sent pictures to Quentin.

At five-thirty in the morning.

Lexi frowned, an uneasy feeling creeping over her.

Who the hell is Jocelyn?

She gnawed her lip, her gaze shuttling between the bathroom door and the phone in her hand.

Don’t do it,
her conscience warned.
You know better than anyone that no good can
come of snooping through a man’s belongings. It only leads to disillusionment and
heartache.

On the other hand,
Lexi argued back,
it’s better to know the truth—no matter how
painful—than to continue living a lie.

As she’d already learned the hard way, ignorance was
not
bliss.

The phone buzzed again.

With a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach, Lexi pressed the button to retrieve the first message.

An involuntary gasp escaped her.

It was a picture of a beautiful, dark-skinned woman lounging seductively on a bed.

She wore a sultry smile and skimpy red panties, her arms coquettishly crossed over her ample, naked breasts. The text message read:
Want to see the rest? Give me a call,
Counselor.

Lexi clicked off the picture with trembling fingers and swallowed the bile that had risen in her throat.

Why are you so upset?
her conscience demanded.
It’s not as if you and Quentin are
a couple. Just because you shared one hot, unbelievably spectacular night of lovemaking
doesn’t mean he’s ready to give up his womanizing ways.

Besides, she thought cynically, some of the best sex she’d ever had with her ex-husband came right after he’d been with his mistress.
Guilt sex,
he’d later confessed to her.

Lexi grimaced. God, she’d been
such
a fool to think that Quentin Reddick could ever change.

“Hey, Lex,” he called from the shower. “Sure you don’t wanna join me in here? The water’s
real
nice and hot.”

Her temper flared.

Flinging back the covers, she lunged from the bed, yanked on her rumpled blouse and skirt, then stalked over to the bathroom.

Inside the steamy glass stall, Quentin stood with his eyes closed and his face lifted to the shower spray as water rushed down his naked, glistening muscles. Ignoring the way her belly clenched, she snatched open the door.

When Quentin glanced around in surprise, she said with stinging sweetness, “
I
wouldn’t care to join you, but I’m sure Jocelyn would jump at the chance. Why don’t you ask
her?
”

Quentin frowned, blinking water from his long lashes. “Who?”

“Jocelyn,” Lexi spat, shoving the cell phone up to his face.

He took one look at the provocative photo, then closed his eyes and groaned. “Lex, it’s not what you—”

“Save it.” She spun around and marched back into the bedroom, tossing the phone onto the bed. As she retrieved her discarded bra and panties from the floor, she heard the water shut off. She hurriedly tugged on her underwear and pulled down her skirt just as Quentin strode from the bathroom, a towel haphazardly draped around his hips and water streaming down his chest.

“Listen to me,” he said urgently. “I’m not sleeping with that woman—”

“Yet.” Lexi smirked, her bra balled up in her fist. “But it’s only a matter of time, right? I mean, I know how fast you work. Well, except in my case. It took you a bit longer to get
me
into bed, but hey, good things come to those who wait, right?”

His heavy brows slammed together as he advanced on her. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Admit it, Quentin,” she taunted, backing away from him. “You’ve always loved a good challenge. And what could be more challenging than getting your best friend of twenty years into bed?”

He stopped short, staring at her incredulously. “You honestly think that’s what last night was about?”

Instead of answering that, she demanded, “Who’s Jocelyn?”

He scowled. “She’s nobody.”

Lexi snorted derisively. “She must be
somebody
if she’s up at the crack of dawn sending you half-naked pictures of herself.”

Quentin started toward her again, the towel sliding precariously lower on his lean hips. “Listen to me—”

“When?”

“When what?”

“
When
did you meet her, Quentin? Before or after you kissed me in Burgundy?”

He hesitated, jaw clenched. “I met her last Wednesday. She’s—”

“So that would be
after
we got back from Burgundy, correct?”

“Yeah, but it’s not like that. She’s one of our new clients—”

“A
client?
That’s even worse!”

As Lexi pivoted and strode from the bedroom, Quentin followed her. “Damn it, Lex. If you’d just let me explain—”

“There’s nothing to explain,” she cut him off. “If you see nothing wrong with sleeping with your clients, that’s your business.”

“I’m not sleeping with her!” he roared.

“Well, she seems pretty confident that you will be soon enough. And if she’s just a client, why the hell is she calling your personal cell phone? Explain that!”

Quentin was hot on her heels as she hurried down the staircase and headed toward the foyer. Her trench coat, shoes and pantyhose lay in a bundle near the front door, taunting her with memories of last night.

As she jammed her feet into her stilettos, she muttered caustically, “I don’t even know why I’m surprised. I mean, the morning after you kissed me, I saw that supermodel slinking out of your damn room.”