Nerds Are From Mars (28 page)

Her heart beat faster, both with anticipation and a touch of fear. The fear prompted her to make a joke. “Wanna play house?”

“Yes.”

She gulped.

“And that expression on your face is exactly why I’d decided not to say what I was thinking. It’s too soon. And you look terrified.”

“Because I am.” She took a quick drink of her wine.

“Me, too,” he said softly. “Me, too, Darcie. I want to be with you, and part of it’s sex, but part of it’s . . . something else.”

Her heart was really racing, now, enough to make her tremble.

“Let me take that before you spill it.” He reached for her glass.

She let him have it, because she was in danger of dripping wine all over this borrowed sweat suit. The velour might be red, but that wouldn’t hide the stain if she spilled wine on it.

He turned and put both their glasses on his end table. Then he looked at her and cleared his throat. “People throw words around, sometimes long before they should be said, and I . . . don’t want to do that.”

She shook her head. “Me, either.”

“And we’ve been together in a luxury hotel and now in a goddamned
castle
. That’s not real life.”

Her vocal cords weren’t working really well, but she managed a brief
nope
.

“We don’t know yet how we’d be in a normal situation, without things blowing up and people trying to kill me.”

She relaxed a little. Yes, she thought they might be star-crossed lovers, but she’d figured they’d ease into it over the course of weeks and months. That way they could work out their issues related to needing their individual space.
Space
. Ha. She hadn’t put that together before, but he was all about space. And so was she, in both contexts.

He sighed. “That said, whenever I look at you, I . . . I see . . .” He paused and shook his head. “I’m going to stop before I freak us both out. But now you know why I was standing there watching you with a goofy expression on my face a while ago.”

Her throat felt tight. “Thank you for telling me.”

“Don’t be scared, Darcie. I won’t embarrass you by saying or doing something stupid.”

Now that he’d backed away from what she’d thought he might be on the verge of saying, she felt oddly deflated. If he’d taken the plunge, it would have been scary as hell, but it would have been exhilarating, too, sort of like the ride in his Firebird.

He was right to be cautious when it came to their emotional involvement, though. That was the sensible course of action, a Virgo move if she’d ever seen one. They had been thrown together under unusual circumstances, and when that situation ended, they could try a more normal approach to a relationship – like dating, for instance.

“Want your wine back?”

She sensed an alternative in that question. “Or what?”

“Or, as long as we’re still living this fantasy, would you like to make use of that enormous bed?”

Adrenaline of a different kind surged through her. Emotional closeness might scare the stuffing out of her, but physical closeness with this man was nothing but pure, unadulterated pleasure. She stood and held out her hand. “The wine’s not going anywhere. Let’s go work up a thirst.”

“Good choice.” His grip was firm. He took off his glasses and set them on the end table. When his gaze met hers, they burned with an intensity that held no caution whatsoever. He might not be a daredevil when it came to his heart, but he was a daredevil in this.

Once again he swung her up in his arms and carried her to the bed where he tossed her on the mattress with such force that she bounced. Laughing, she kicked off her shoes, but she had no idea where they landed.

Not bothering with the zipper, he’d pulled his jacket over his head and pitched it to the floor. Then he crawled onto the mattress. “I’ll have my way with thee, wench,” he growled as he peppered her face with kisses. “Dost thou yield?”

“Oh, definitely.” Still laughing, she thrust both hands inside the elastic waistband of his sweatpants and his briefs and grasped his thick penis. “Dost thou yield, sir?”

He paused in his frenzied kissing routine and groaned. “Thou dost toy with my member.”

“Uh-huh.” She continued to fondle him as his breathing grew labored.

“Halt.” Sitting back on his knees, he grasped her wrists. “Halt or I shall cometh.”

She smiled and maintained her grip. “Make me.”

“Dost thou challenge me?”

“Aye.” She drank in the sight of her nerd in full passion mode, his broad chest heaving and his hair tousled.

His gaze sparkled with laughter and lust as the pressure on her wrists tightened. “Release me, wench, or suffer the consequences.”

“Do thy worst.”

He reacted with such speed that it left her gasping. In two seconds he’d pinned her hands above her head and wedged her legs tight between his knees. She couldn’t move. Fire licked through her veins.

His eyes glittered with triumph as he surveyed her. “Now I shall show thee what happens to defiant wenches.”

“Oh, please, do.” His devilish expression ramped up her anticipation, making her tremble.

His eyebrows lifted. “Dost thou understand I shall torture thee?”

“I hope so.”

“Thou art a bold lass.” He shifted his grasp and captured both her wrists in one hand. “I shall enjoy making thee beg for mercy.” Holding her gaze, he unzipped her jacket and flipped open the front catch of her bra. Then he began to touch her.

Because of his masterful game, she’d expected his caress to be demanding. She wasn’t prepared for the whisper of his fingertips against her skin. Lightly he stroked her throat, her collarbone, her breasts, her belly, all the while watching her eyes.

She shivered. The heat in his eyes paired with the controlled restraint of his touch was more erotic than if he’d ravished her. He used the back of his knuckles to brush her nipples ever so gently. He trailed one finger between her breasts and dipped it ever so briefly into her navel.

With every languid stroke of his fingertips, she burned hotter. Moisture gathered between her thighs. She longed to open them and welcome him there, but he kept her motionless, quivering, aching . . .

“What say you, wench?” His roughened voice betrayed his own arousal as he continued to feather his fingertips over the swell of her breast, the tight bud of her nipples, the hollow of her throat.

She swallowed. “Please.”

“This?” He pinched her nipple.

She cried out with pleasure. “Yes!”

“Not yet. Soon.” His knees relaxed, allowing her legs movement. “Lift thy hips.”

With a soft moan, she did as he asked, and he wrenched both her sweatpants and panties down past her knees. That one swift movement made her hope a firm touch would follow, preferably right where she throbbed almost beyond endurance. Instead he continued as before, his fingers playing over her skin, sometimes stroking, sometimes tapping, but never staying long, never applying the pressure she desperately craved.

“So ready,” he murmured as he brushed a fingertip up her slick thigh toward the source of that moisture.

She held her breath as he ventured closer, closer, and then stopped. “
Please
.”

His chuckle was dark with excitement. “Ah, now she begs.” He lightly caressed her other thigh. “What dost thou need, lass?”

“You know very well.”

“Perhaps.” He traced her mouth with his damp fingers.

She tried to bite those teasing fingertips, but he pulled them away before she could manage it.

“Easy, lass.” He returned to caress her thighs once again, always stopping short of the one touch she craved.

Her body clenched and she began to pant and twist beneath him. “Nolan, I want . . .”

“This?” And he pressed his thumb right
there
.

The shock of it hurled her over the precipice and she cried out in surprise and relief. As he released his grip on her wrists, she clutched his shoulders and bowed upward in surrender. He thrust his fingers deep and stroked her as she came in a glorious rush.

His mouth captured her cries as he kissed her, his tongue matching the rhythm of his fingers. At last the tremors ceased, and he lifted his head to gaze down at her with a smile. “Torture’s over.”

She gulped for air. “Never fear. I’ll get you back. I’m not stronger than you, but I’ll figure out a way to torture you exactly like that.”

“Anytime. I won’t even struggle.”

“I’ve never . . . that was incredible. And you pinned me so fast, too! Where did that come from?”

“Took some self defense classes a couple of years ago. Turns out I have fast reflexes, probably from playing computer games all my life.”

“You were fast all right. But then, when you had me at your mercy, how did you know to . . . wait, forget that question. I don’t want to hear how you learned that.”

“I’ve never tried it before.” He grinned. “It was a scientific experiment. Slightly unorthodox, but . . . thanks for being my lab partner.”

“So we were having fun with science?”

“In a way.”

“Cool.” She cupped his face in both hands. “Want me to experiment on you, next?”

“You know . . . I could go for some of that old-fashioned missionary stuff. If you wouldn’t be too bored.”

She smiled up at him. “Hasn’t happened yet, Dr. Bradbury.” She had a feeling it never would. He made her laugh. He made her think. And quite often he made her cry out in orgasmic delight. Boredom with this man didn’t seem likely.

It wouldn’t be happening in the next little while, either. She was about to be treated to another round of pleasure, judging from the way he quickly took off the rest of their clothes, located another condom, and settled between her thighs.

His hot gaze made her heart pound. Then he pushed deep and closed his eyes with a groan of satisfaction. “
This
.”

She had to agree with him. She’d be hard pressed to think of a more beautiful moment than this one, when they were once again locked together, his dark chest hair brushing her nipples as he settled into a steady rhythm and looked into her eyes.

“Heaven,” he murmured.

“Uh-huh.” She wrapped her arms around his broad back and matched her movements to his. Her body responded to each sure thrust by tightening another notch. She knew him, now.

And he knew her. He sensed when to vary the pace, when to shift his angle. She’d never felt so in tune with a man, so certain that she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

His eyes reflected passion, but as he moved within her, a more intense emotion flickered there. The light of that emotion grew stronger the closer he came to his release. “Darcie . . .” He’d never said her name with such reverence and awe.

He loved her
. Her heart swelled with joy. He might not tell her yet, but when she looked into his eyes, she knew. For now, that was enough. As the wave of her climax rolled over her, he called her name as he followed her into the maelstrom.

“I’m here,” she murmured as she held his shuddering body. “I’m here, Nolan.” She continued to hold him as weariness coaxed her slowly into oblivion. She was vaguely aware that he left the bed, but soon he came back and cradled her in his arms. She drifted into a dreamless sleep.

She woke to the sound of a harpsichord, a very
loud
harpsichord.

Swearing profusely, Nolan got out of bed and stumbled over to the intercom. “What!”

“Beg pardon, Dr. Bradbury, but you said to wake you when there was news.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Sorry.”

“If you turn on the electronic tablet in your chamber, Mr. Harcourt wishes to speak with you. He’s arranged for you to interview Jan Upton.”

Chapter Twenty-four

Nolan snapped instantly awake. “Thanks. I’ll be with him as soon as I . . . in a minute.” Behind him a light switched on and he turned to find Darcie gathering their clothes. “My glasses.” Adrenaline combined with being jerked awake made him a little shaky. “Do you remember where I put them?”

“I think on the table next to the loveseat.”

He found them. Wearing his glasses always made him feel more in command of any situation, with one exception. He didn’t need glasses when he was making love to Darcie. His other senses became way more important then.

She walked over with his clothes. “You’ll need these.”

“No kidding. Thanks.” He pulled them on. “How’re you doing?”

“Nervous. How about you?”

“The same. Fingers crossed she confessed.” He zipped his jacket and finger combed his hair. “I’m ready if you are.”

“I’m ready.”

He glanced at her. Her collar was standing up on one side. “Here.” He fixed it. “That’s better.”

She pulled his head down for a quick kiss. “For luck.”

He smiled. “Who needs luck when I have you?” Then he realized that he didn’t exactly
have
her. He’d deliberately avoided a deep discussion about their future, but now wasn’t the time to clarify that he hadn’t meant to assume . . . anything. Truth was, the comment was probably a Freudian slip. “Go ahead and sit down. I’ll turn it on.”

Moments later he settled in the chair next to Darcie as Fagan, looking rested and tropical in a fresh linen shirt, appeared on the screen sipping on a cup of coffee. “Sorry to drag you out of the sack. I’m ahead of you, time-zone wise, so it’s actually morning here.”

Nolan glanced at the readout on the screen. “It’s morning here, too, but not quite the hour I’m used to being awake. That’s okay. I need to hear this.”

“I’m afraid there’s not much to hear. My people have tried. I’ve tried. She won’t talk.”

Nolan’s chest tightened. “About anything?”

“That’s right. We tracked her to a resort in Cabo. We’ve notified the authorities, so she’ll soon be on her way to jail, which is something, I guess. But I wish she’d say why she did this.”

“But I still get to talk to her, right?”

“That’s why I woke you at this ungodly hour. Sorry about that, Darcie.”

“No problem,” Darcie said. “I want to hear her, too.”

“I doubt you’ll hear much unless she decides to open up to you guys. Without a confession of some kind, I’m not sure what to think. After you finish talking to her, my team will switch you back to me so we can decide next steps.”