Slow Burn (22 page)

“You too.” She ran her palm along the tattoo
on his upper arm, his shoulder, came down his chest and continued
lower.

“Uh-ah, you don’t want do that,” he
warned.

“What am I supposed to do with my hands?”

“Nothing. Or better yet, hold on to my head
while I lick your satiny skin, feast on your juices and make you
come, over and over.” He wanted her to forget her name, wail
his.

“Oh,” was all she said.

He bent his head and gave her a slow kiss.
Then his mouth wandered down to close around a pebbled nipple. She
arched her back and hummed under her breath as he suckled it. “You
taste so good.”

She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Her body quivered, her hands skimmed over his broad shoulders, then
through his hair. She gripped his head, offered him her other
nipple. He took his time, poured all his desires, feelings and
experience into pleasing her.

When he drifted lower to her quivering belly,
her scent, feminine and heady, slammed into him. He savored her
lush curves, succulent skin. It was killing him not to claim her
again, but he held on, determined to prolong the foreplay. By the
time he inched his way up her inner thighs, she was chanting his
name.

She gave out a cry of pleasure when his mouth
finally locked on the moist center between her thighs. Her body
rose off the lounge to meet him. The taste of her, the perfection
of her silken flesh nearly drove him out of his mind. When she
buckled, writhed and screamed her way to a shuddering climax, he
didn’t stop licking and lapping, giving her more.

He couldn’t control his fervor as he shifted
and nudged his rigid flesh in her soft, moist flesh. She pulled him
closer, eager to accommodate him. Their lips locked as he rode her
waves, faster and faster until agonized pleasure sucked his
trembling body into oblivion.

Not wanting to crush her, he shifted his
weight until he was laying on the lounge. He tucked her on his
chest. Her eyes were closed, and her damp hair lay across her
cheek. He brushed it out of the way, then closed his eyes. He had
some thinking to do.

It was a little while later when he kissed
her forehead and whispered in her ear, “I’m starving,
sweetheart.”

“Not again,” she said with a smothered
giggle. Then his stomach chose that moment to growl. “Oh, real
food.”

He chuckled. “And I thought I was the one
with a one track mind.”

“You have that effect on me.” She lifted her
head, propped her chin on his chest and glanced toward the kitchen
area. “Second drawer on the left side of the stove has menus of
several nearby restaurants. Take your pick. I have them on speed
dial on my phone.”

He ran his knuckles along her arm. “I take it
you live on take-outs.”

“Someone has to keep the restaurants in
business.”

He laughed, pushed the loose strands around
her face out of the way and landed a gentle kiss on her lips.
“You’re priceless.”

He eased from under her, got up and walked to
the kitchen area. He could feel her gaze on him. “What are you in a
mood for?”

“Anything.”

He found the menus and decided on an Italian
restaurant. He was reading off a list of entrées when he turned his
head and glanced toward Ashley. She was lying on her tummy, a
pillow on her buttocks and her eyes on him. He winked at her, took
both the menu and the phone, and walked back to the lounge.

“You’re very comfortable walking around,” she
jutted a finger his way, “like that.”

He pulled the pillow off her. “So should you
be, my modest artist.” He lifted the pillow away from her stretched
hand and handed her the phone instead. “I’ll let you order for us
while I nibble on my appetizer.”

She gave him a baffled look, but still took
the phone and the menu. While she ordered, he settled between her
legs on the lounge and studied her body. He’d bedded his share of
women, but none ever held such fascination to him. He cupped her
buttock cheek and squeezed.

She placed the phone down and threw him a
glance over her shoulder. “Food’s on its way. You want to shower
with me?”

“No, I want you to come with me, again. I’ve
wanted to do this ever since I met you.” He leaned down and took a
bite of her ass, hard enough to get a gasp out of her. Then he
licked and soothed the spot he’d just bitten, enjoying the way her
buttock muscles clenched. “Hmm, I love padding on a woman.” He
cupped her hips. “Get on your knees, babe.”

She giggled. “Ron, give me a moment to catch
my breath.”

“Save that for when you’re sleeping. I’ve
barely begun.” He ran his hand along her inner thigh, felt her
muscles tremble with anticipation. Her skin was smooth, her limbs
supple. “Open up sweetheart and let me make you feel good.”

“You’re insatiable.”

“And you’re a match for me in every way.” She
lifted her hip off the lounge so that her bare behind was sticking
up in the air. He caressed it, studying her, loving the provocative
and inviting pose. She looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes
vulnerable and uncertain.

“You’re beautiful. Sexy.” His hand ran up her
thigh to find her silken heat from behind, slipped a finger
tenderly inside her. “You have no idea how I’ve fantasized about
this, driving you crazy from behind.”

Another finger joined the first one as his
other hand slid across her belly to caress her nipples. She
vibrated and rocked against his hand, her back arching just as her
muscles pulsated around his finger and a sob of helpless pleasure
escaped her lips.

Ron knew he was pushing her hard, but this
ravenous appetite for her body was beyond his comprehension. It was
new, surprising and a little discerning. “I want more, Ashley.”

She nodded and dipped lower, inviting him to
indulge himself. Her sweet acceptance made him harder than a rock.
He’d wanted her surrender to him, to their passion, yet it was he
who was seduced by her giving nature. The more she gave, the more
he wanted from her. This woman he’d only known for a short time but
was quickly becoming more important than the air he breathed.
Watching her fall apart under his hands did something to his
insides.

He smoothed on a condom, entered her slick
opening slowly, savoring the feel of her. She swayed back to meet
him, welcoming his invasion. He fought the sensations surging
through his body and took his time, went for slow, rocking thrusts.
“How does that feel?”

“Good.”

He wasn’t satisfied with her answer. “Tell me
how you like it, baby.”

“Faster…harder,” she gasped.

He increased tempo. With each gliding thrust,
a groan of pleasure escaped him. She was so snug, fitted him
perfectly. Her hand sneaked around to grip his buttock cheek. His
control snapped, his thrust becoming faster, harder and deeper. The
sensual rhythm drove her over the edge, and he shouted hoarsely as
the storm of sensations catapulted him into nothingness.

Ashley flopped on the lounge and he followed,
shifting his weight off her and rolling to the side.

***

“Food’s here,” Ashley called out when the
doorbell rang an hour later. She was already dressed. Ron, on the
other hand, had stayed behind in the shower to catch his
breath.

Ron stepped out of her bathroom, a towel
around his waist. “You’re a wicked woman, Ashley Fitzgerald.”

“You loved every moment of it.” So had she.
It had been fun to watch him lose control, tear down his barriers
and have him helpless and quivering in her arms, just like he did
to her every time they made love. “I’ll get the food.” She ran down
the stairs, grabbed her handbag and hurried to the door.

If she had used the peephole before opening
the door, she might have been prepared. As it was, she yanked the
door open, saw the face of the delivery boy and froze. Was she
becoming paranoid after what happened earlier, and were men with
beards starting to look alike?

“Ms. Ashley Fitzgerald?” the bearded
deliveryman asked, smiling.

Despite the bags with La Trattoria logo, the
man looked too old to be a food delivery boy. He had a tan that
owed much to the sun and not natural pigmentation. His hair was
curly, a shade of brown that was hard to describe, his eyes pale
blue and his features not particularly striking. He had a face one
could see in a crowd and never remember.

“Ma’am? Did you order food from La
Trattoria?” he asked.

“Where’s Nguyen?” Ashley blurted at the same
time, a little uneasy by the intent way he stared at her.

“I beg your pardon?”

“The young man who usually delivers my
food…Nguyen, where’s he?”

“Oh. He was out when your order came in. You
are Ms. Ashley Fitzgerald, right?”

“That’s right.” She pulled out her wallet,
looked up and caught him peering into her house. She shifted and
blocked his gaze. “Ron, the food’s here,” she yelled over her
shoulder, just in case the man thought she was home alone. She gave
him a beatific smile. “How much do I owe you?”

“Fifty-two dollars and sixty cents.”

“You guys must be busy tonight.” She wrote a
check that included the tip. “The delivery time from your
restaurant is usually thirty minutes.”

The man shrugged, his eyes darting toward the
elevator as though he was in a hurry to leave. “It’s very crowded.
There’s a conference going on around here, and the place has been
packed these past few nights. Thank you,” he added when she gave
him the check, then he turned and walked away.

On an impulse Ashley asked, “What’s your
name?” When he paused to glance at her with a frown, she added, “I
like to use people’s names when I address them.”

“Lester Dunn.” A strange look she couldn’t
identify crossed his face, but he ducked his head before she could
decipher it. “Excuse me, ma’am.”

“Nice to meet you, Lester. See you next
time.”

The man hurried away, not bothering to look
back. Ashley stared after him, unease knitting her insides. If only
she’d seen the facial features of the biker who’d followed her home
earlier. Putting a face to evil was better than staying in the
dark. And the deliveryman was a little too skittish and nosey for
her liking.

She was closing the door when a shirtless Ron
appeared beside her. “There was something really weird about that
deliveryman.”

“In what way?” Ron took the bags of food from
her hands and followed her to the kitchen

“I caught him peering inside my loft, then as
soon as I mentioned your name, he couldn’t wait to hightail out of
here.” She lifted the phone and speed-dialed the restaurant’s
number. “Call me paranoid, but I’ve got to confirm he’s really an
employee of La Trattoria. Lester had a full beard like the biker
and was a little too old to be a deliver…what is it?” Ron had
frozen halfway through her explanation.

“Lester? Did you say Lester?”

“Yes. Lester Dunn.” She pressed the off
button, terminating the call without speaking. “What? Who’s
he?”

His expression tight, he studied her. “He
didn’t do or say anything threatening to you, did he?”

Ron’s reaction was beginning to scare her.
“Like I said, I caught him peering inside my house. What’s going
on, Ron? Who’s Lester Dunn?”

“A name on a list.” He pulled out his cell
phone and punched buttons, his jaw set. “Remember the letters on my
windscreen; Lester Dunn was on the second list.” His attention
shifted to the person on the other side of the line. “Kenny, I
found Lester Dunn. Yes. He pretended to be a delivery boy from a
nearby restaurant. Can you believe that crap? He was so damn cocky
he actually gave Ashley his real name.” He listened for a few
seconds, then said, “How soon as can you get here? You bet I want a
clean sweep of the place. No, we didn’t order online. Used the
phone. Okay, see you.” He terminated the call. “I need to have a
talk with the guard downstairs.”

She blocked his path. “Not so fast. What was
that about?”

“Kenny’s firm deals with technical
surveillance counter measures, debugging places. Whatever Dunn
planted in here, a full TSCM sweep will find it.”

Surely, she must have misunderstood him.
“Debugging? As in removing listening devices? Why would you
think—?”

“It’s the only way Dunn would have known
about our order,” he interrupted impatiently. “He had to be
listening.”

Ashley opened her mouth to protest, but the
words got lost in her throat. The thought that someone had snuck
inside her home left her reeling with shock. “How? The guards don’t
let anyone waltz up here without permission.”

“Oh yeah? Dunn just delivered our food. The
guard didn’t stop or question him.” His tone was hard, his
expression furious.

“Quit yelling at me, Ron.”

“Who’s to say he hadn’t delivered something
else before to someone else in the building and slipped in here?”
he continued as though she hadn’t spoken

“If he did, I’m not the one who let him in.
Okay? And enough with that tone.”

“I’m not yelling.” He lowered his tone but
still sounded annoyed. “You approved food deliveries by
what’s-his-name when no one should come upstairs without your
authorization.”

“Oh yeah? You did.”

“That’s different.”

“Yeah sure. Different rules for you. Why am I
not surprised?” She saw the worry etched on his face and checked
the bitch inside her. Yes, things were spiraling out of control,
but she shouldn’t take out her frustrations on Ron. “Okay, Ron. I
understand where you’re coming from with this. No one comes
upstairs without my say so from now on.”

He nodded. “Good. I’m going to talk to the
guards downstairs. I’ll be back shortly.”

As he walked away, he brought his cell phone
to his ear and say, “Mom, we need to talk.”

Ashley locked the door behind him, checked
all her windows to make sure they were secure and put her alarm
system to “at home” mode. Then she started to search for listening
devices. To be honest, she had no idea what she was looking for.
Still she got a screwdriver and opened her phones, checked behind
her T.V., every nook and cranny someone could hide something in.
There was nothing.