Summer Kisses (262 page)

Lynn Dorey had produced a fine piece.

Life moved on.

No big deal.

Except that she wanted to win.

She had said that winning the award would prove to Howard her ability to produce award-winning work. That winning the award would compel him to allow her to work on projects worthy of her talent. But that wasn’t it.

Either he would allow her to produce or he wouldn’t. He should be aware of her talents by this time, award or no award. She could stand up to him and demand her chance. She could go elsewhere to do the work she wanted to do.

What she had really wanted… needed…
craved
, in fact, was the acknowledgment that she was the very best at what she did. Better than the infamous Max Williams. Better than the accomplished Lynn Dorey. Better than everyone.

Not a very magnanimous reason for wanting to win a public service award, shame forced her to admit, but the admission needed to be faced.

Failure pressed in on her, making her feel weak and diminished. Alone and cold. Very, very cold, like the Ice Princess Max always called her.

She dabbed tears from the corners of her eyes. Max took her hand and closed her fingers around a glass of champagne. She put the glass in a holder and warmed a bit only when Max reclaimed her hand, cradling it in his.

“You’re supposed to drink that. I was going to propose a toast. Something clever about being too classy to be losers.”

“Not now, please.” Her stiff lips refused to smile any longer. She shivered, watching the rain sheet the window.

“You’re freezing.” He scooted closer and slid an arm around her shoulders. “We need brandy, or scotch, not champagne.” He stretched his other arm toward the mini-bar again.

“No, I just want to go home.” She cuddled closer to his warmth.

“Do you have brandy at your house?” His breath washed across her cheek. The hair on the back of her neck stood up.

Did she have brandy? Probably not. She shook her head. Max tapped on the glass and gave the driver an address.

“Where are we going?” Her teeth chattered around the question.

“My place.” He wrapped his other arm around her and gathered her to him. His hands slid under her shawl, moving over her arms, back, neck, and shoulders, soothing and healing.

If she weren’t so cold, so frozen, she’d move away. But for now, she needed all the heat he could give her. “No, just take me home.”

His fixed gaze drilled into her with the precision of a laser. It penetrated the cold sense of failure down to her very bones, to the place that terrified her.

 “Fine.” He tapped on the glass to issue new directions.

Through the rain-streaked windows, she saw the lights ablaze inside her house, offering a false sense of welcome. Carly was out for the night, but the girl never remembered to turn off the lights when she left. Annabel dreaded going inside and huddling alone with her disappointment.

A pair of warm pajamas and a cup of cappuccino might comfort her. Or a less-sophisticated pleasure, like hot cocoa. Double chocolate with extra marshmallows. She could thaw out her frozen brain, indulge in a brief pity party, and maybe allow herself a few tears as she went to sleep. Then she’d get up and face the morning with a new perspective. She’d think about the future then.

Max bundled her through the rain and onto the covered porch. He lowered the umbrella provided by Eduardo and took the keys from her hand when she fumbled with the lock.

“You sure you’re all right?” Max asked. “I hate to leave you here alone.” He turned Annabel toward him and tilted her face toward the light.

“I’m fine.” The lie almost stuck in her throat. If she weren’t fine now, she would be by tomorrow. She’d had plenty of practice getting through life’s kicks in the teeth on her own.

He shook his head, disbelieving. His dark eyes locked with hers, rimmed with sympathy and kindness, but also questioning and persuasive. She shivered again.

With his warm hands on her bare shoulders, steam skittered across her skin. He pulled her forward inch by slow inch. His head slanted to one side, and then his lips covered hers. Warmth, glorious warmth shot through her everywhere their bodies met, blocking out the chill of her defeat.

Forget hot chocolate. Marshmallows be damned. Max made her forget her loss better than an entire vat of Swiss Miss. The thought of him leaving made her ache with longing. She wrapped herself around him and pressed into him, desperate for comfort.

When she parted her lips and his tongue swept inside, he gave a hungry growl, spreading his incredible warmth inside her. One kiss led to another. Places she’d forgotten about began to tingle.

His mouth grazed her neck in a tantalizing trail. Hot breath caressed her flesh. Hands skimmed her breasts. The starched pleats on his shirt brushed her taut nipples. Her shivers no longer emanated from the numbing cold, but from the heat of longing.

The flash of lights from a car passing her house jerked her back to reality. She shifted her mouth away from his with a gasp. As much as she wanted him and craved the oblivion he offered, she couldn’t do this.

Not on her front doorstep.

“Let’s go in,” he suggested, reading her mind.

Her moment’s hesitation provided him with the opportunity to back her through the doorway into the foyer. He closed the door behind him.

“We shouldn’t do this.” She planted her hands on the solid wall of his chest, gesturing in the general direction of her driveway and the waiting limo. “We
can’t
do this. What will Eduardo think?”

“Eduardo will be thrilled.” He rubbed his palms along her bare back, then pulled her close. “He gets paid by the hour.”

Annabel’s curiosity spiked along with her desire as his fingers searched for the fastening on her dress. “How long will it take?”

He gave her a pure-Max smile. One that sent her sexual appetite zinging off the gotta-have-it scale. “How long have you got?”

“I’ve got all night.” She startled herself, first, with the thought, and then, with the realization.
They were going to do this. Sex with Max was going to happen.
No more stalling. No more excuses. She took a deep breath and plunged ahead. “Let’s make Eduardo rich.” 

“All night, huh?” Max smiled widely. “You got it, babe.” The heat in his eyes guaranteed the promise as he removed her sparkly wrap and tossed it aside. His hands skimmed her bare back, moved down her sides, then to the front of the diaphanous material. “It might take all night to figure out how to get you out of this thing.”

“Let me help.” Annabel guided him to the zipper on the side of the dress. She reached up to undo the magic hook that held the two straps together at the nape of her neck.

Before the material fell away and revealed her bare breasts, Max covered her hands with his, stopping her. “If you’re not into exhibitionism, the foyer’s better than the front porch, but do you really want to do this here?” He pressed his hips against hers, indicating the hard ridge of his erection. “I’m game, but you might want some place more comfortable.”

A bit of her chill returned with his practical suggestion, but his fingers massaged small circles along her back and ignited heated tingling along her spine that melted hesitation away. She’d love to be the kind of sensual woman who enjoyed having sex any time, any place, but she’d never been that woman before. For this first time in such a long time, she’d probably enjoy it more somewhere else.

Someplace where the vast difference in their levels of experience would be less apparent.

Somewhere safe.

Definitely somewhere dark.

“Upstairs?” she suggested.

At his quick nod, she leaned in for a taste of his beautifully decadent mouth. Definitely better than hot chocolate. Or a hot fudge sundae. Or a freaking mountain of chocolate. One nip led to two. She deepened the kiss with a stroke of her tongue. His lips parted to welcome her inside.

Her hips arched against him, pressing into his rock-hard cock. His hands slipped inside her dress, cupped her breasts, and held their weight in his palms. She let out a long breath that had lodged itself somewhere around her ribcage. When his thumbs brushed across her nipples, she moaned. So did he.

An encouraging flutter frisked around inside her stomach at the intensity of his response. Knowing she had the ability to arouse him so quickly and forcefully ignited her confidence.

“We have
got
to get you out of this dress.” His voice was ragged with frustration.

“Upstairs.” She intended to be cloaked in shadow before shedding her clothing.

Holding onto her hips, he backed her toward the steps. She reached up to brush her fingers through the soft, thick hair at his temple. He stopped short, and she stumbled. When he opened his mouth to speak, she kissed him instead.

What was it about his mouth that she found so irresistible? The firm, wide shape? The full lips or beautiful teeth? Had she ever been so fascinated with any other mouth? God, she didn’t think so.

His hands slipped inside the front of her dress again, caressing her breasts. He flashed his sexiest, most photogenic smile. “Thank God, I was right.”

“About what? That I’m not very… very…”

“Very what?”

“You know. Not very big.” She dropped her forehead to his chest so she didn’t have to look at him. “Voluptuous.”

“You’re plenty big. If you weren’t, why would I have been wondering all through dinner what you did or didn’t have on under here? That was the only thing that kept me awake through some of those speeches.”

A bubble of laughter escaped her, delighted by the idea of holding his attention smack dab in the middle of some of Cincinnati’s most beautiful women.

“Let me see you,” he said, his voice low and coaxing.

The laughter stuck in her throat as he returned her hands to the hooks that held the halter in place. The shimmery material dropped away. His breath caught as he admired her naked flesh.

“Let me see
you
.” The daring words shocked her, but she was determined not to be the only nearly-naked person in her foyer.

She removed his dangling necktie and started on his shirt studs. Every part of him she uncovered exceeded her sexual fantasies. Solid muscles, lean and taut. Crisp chest hair. Just as she got to the hardest, flattest stomach she’d ever fantasized about touching, his vest interrupted her journey.

Sliding her arms around him, she unhooked it in the back. The maneuver brought her breasts firmly against the inflexible wall of his naked chest.

She rubbed against him like a cat, savoring the contrasting textures of his pleated shirt and crinkly hair on her hyper-sensitive skin. Dipping her head, she took a deep whiff of his scent—spicy cologne, starched cotton, and fresh, clean male. He looked and smelled so delicious she wanted to take a bite out of him. Her mouth settled for a nibble at the appealing bend between his shoulder and neck.

“Come on, babe.” He led her another few steps toward the stairs, but the yards of material swirled around their feet, tangled around them, and got in the way of walking and touching.

Frustrated, Annabel thrust the dress below her hips. She smiled as it slithered to the floor. Boldly, she stepped out of it and kicked it aside.

Then she froze behind years of wallflower insecurity.

Only his hands on hers prevented her from covering the exposed areas. His gaze moved up and down her body once, visually caressing every inch, then he made the trip a second time, his face a study in amazement.

“What?” A prolonged moment of silence hung in the air while Annabel considered the nearest place to hide.

“You’re beautiful. Perfect.” His hand trailed appreciatively along her side, from her breast to her hip. He groaned again and shook his head. “To think this is what you’ve been hiding, and I didn’t know.” He bent to let his mouth follow the path his hand had taken. “I’m usually a better judge than that.”

Clad only in a wisp of panties, sheer stockings and the sexiest little shoes she’d ever worn, Annabel felt a blush migrate from her forehead to her toes. She opened her mouth to refute the compliment, but he tapped a finger against her lips.

“Everything about you is beautiful. Don’t argue. Just say thank you.”

Reading the admiration in his eyes, she wanted to let herself believe him. “Th-thank you.”

“Promise you’ll never disguise yourself in nun’s clothes again.” His lips grazed hers. “Promise me that.”

She shoved his jacket and shirt aside. Her hands drifted over the sculpted planes, from abs and pecs to biceps, shoulders and back. With so much to explore, her fingers shook as she unfastened his pants.

“Promise me.” His whispered breath rasped across her skin, setting off a barrage of goose bumps.

“I promise.” With every delicious detail of his magnificent body revealed in front of her, ready, willing and eager for her explorations, she couldn’t remember what promise he demanded from her. She would have assured him of anything in that moment when she touched his upright cock for the first time. Big, thick, hard. Way beyond her expectations.

Gathering her close, he sighed with relief as if her response made a difference to him. “I’m going to touch you and taste you all over. Starting now.”

“I want that, too. To touch you, taste you.” Did she dare do any of that? Would he want her to? Barely able to speak any longer, she gestured vaguely up the stairs. “Bedroom.’

Shaking his head, he pulled her down with him. “Next time.”

As they moved in perfect syncopation through the same erotic dance, he aroused her to dizzying hunger, teasing her sexual appetite with rare and exotic treats. Lost in the pooling warmth of desire, she tried to keep up, to participate and reciprocate, but he was way out of her league. Sometimes, she was so overwhelmed with sensations, it was all she could do to remember to breathe. She couldn’t get enough of him, certainly not in an hour.

Or even a night.

Not when he licked his way down her body. Not when he slipped his fingers through her slick folds. Not when he lifted and seated her across his hips, sliding deep inside her, stretching, filling, and bringing her home. Sweet, never-before-known sensations swamped her as he thrust into her, over and over, surrounding her with the feel, taste, and smell of him.