What a Woman Wants (24 page)

A smile touched
Monique’s lips the moment she saw Lyle. “Good morning.”

He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. “And a good morning to you, too.”

“Thanks for the flowers. They’re beautiful.”

“Just like you,” he said, reaching out and pushing a strand of hair back from her face. “Ready to go jogging?” Yes.

After jogging a couple of miles along the shore as they usually did each morning, they walked hand in hand back to his condo. He told her about the meeting he had attended last night and that he’d been asked to come back next summer to host another six-week symposium.

“Think you’ll do it?” Monique asked quietly while walking by his side.

“Next summer is a long way off, but I’m really thinking about it,” he admitted. “I like it here. This place has a tendency to grow on you.” He then looked at her, smiled, and winked. “But then you being here had a lot to do with it, too. I enjoyed sharing breakfast most mornings with a beautiful woman.”

They sprinted up the brick steps to his apartment. Today would be her day to prepare breakfast while he showered. And when he was getting dressed, she would use his shower. But today things would be different, too. She had done a lot of soul searching last night and had made a number of decisions. She knew her feelings for him were real, and if he was willing to go the distance and establishe a solid relationship, then so was she.

He unlocked his door and stood back to let her in. “Do you have a taste for anything in particular this morning?” she asked when he closed the door behind them.

“As a matter of fact. . .” And then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, and it seemed his kisses were becoming hotter and hotter, and the moment their tongues began to tangle, her desire for him escalated.

“If you don’t go ahead and take your shower, you’re going to be late for work,” she said, reluctantly breaking off the kiss and whispering across his moist lips.

“Oh, I forgot to mention that I don’t have a class today. Since tomorrow is the Fourth, they gave everyone an extra day. I was going to ask you to spend the day with me.”

Monique immediately thought the cancellation of his class worked nicely into her plans. “Umm, I’ll have to see. I thought about going shopping with Faith and Shannon again today,” she lied. “Now go take your shower so I can feed you afterwards.”

He gave her another quick peck on the lips before turning to walk off toward his bedroom. He hadn’t made it to the door when his mobile phone on the table started ringing. “Will you get that for me?” he tossed over his shoulder, not breaking his stride, before going into the bedroom and closing the door.

She shrugged. If he didn’t have a problem with her answering his phone, neither did she. She quickly crossed the room to pick it up.

“Hello.”

There was a pause.

“Hello,” she said again, certain someone was on the other end.

“I was trying to reach Dr. Lyle Montgomery,” a feminine voice said.

Monique would be a fool to think other females didn’t have Lyle’s number, but the woman in her wanted to know why this particular one was calling. “He’s busy at the moment.” And to get her point across, she added, “In the shower. Would you like to leave a message?”

There was another pause, and then the woman said, “No message. Just let him know his sister called.”

His sister! “
Carrie?” Monique asked tentatively.

“Yes?” The woman seemed surprised that Monique knew who she was.

“This is Monique, a friend of Lyle’s. He and my brother Arnie went to med school together.”

“Oh yes, he’s mentioned Arnie several times. And how are you, Monique?”

“I’m fine, and congratulations on your marriage.”

“Thank you. I just wanted to let Lyle know our flight plans for next Friday.”

“He told me you were coming in to celebrate his birthday,” Monique said.

“That’s right, and I hope to see you when I get there. I look forward to meeting you.”

“Same here, and I’ll let Lyle know you called.”

“Thanks. Good-bye.”

“Good-bye.” Monique smiled as she clicked off the phone. Like her brother, Arnie, Carrie seemed very protective, a good sister.

She lifted her head when she heard the shower going and decided that now was the time to let Lyle know of her decision.

Lyle lifted his
face to the shower head to let water flow over it. He always enjoyed taking showers after jogging. And today he felt full of energy, filled with life, and so much in love.

Monique hadn’t said anything about their conversation of yesterday, although she had thanked him for the flowers he’d sent. He wondered what would be her reaction to discover a bunch would be delivered to her almost every other day. He intended to do whatever it took to get his point across.

He turned when he heard the shower door opening and blinked, then taking his hand, he wiped the lathered water from his face to make sure he was seeing straight. Monique was standing there, totally naked. His gaze did a swoop of her body and zoomed in on the perfectly shaped shoulders before moving downward to her firm, thrusting breasts with the hardened nipples, moving lower still to her flat stomach, small waist, and shapely hips and legs that had him losing his breath. But what his gaze was fixed on more than anything was the dark triangle in her center.

He forced his gaze away from that particular spot to her face and saw her smile softly. “I decided it would save time if we showered together this morning. Do you mind?” she asked.

He swallowed and forced himself to speak. “No, I don’t mind.”

“Good.” She held out her hand and when he looked at it like he’d never seen a hand before, she grinned and said, “The soap, please.”

“Oh.”

The moment he placed the soap in her hand, their fingers touched, and she felt the spark at the same moment he did. Monique watched as his eyes darkened and she heard his breathing suddenly become labored. But what really gave him away and proudly announced the magnitude of his desire for her was the way his erection was growing, right before her eyes.
Oh my.

“Do you need help?” he questioned in a low, sexy voice. “Do you want me to lather you?”

She gave a small sensual laugh. She intended for him to do more than just lather her. “Only if you let me lather you.”

“Whenever you want.”

She smiled and handed him back the soap and watched as he lathered some in his hand before reaching up and, meeting her gaze, began gently rubbing the soapy substance onto her chest, caressing it onto her skin. She gave a sensual shiver when his hand touched her breasts, bathing them in soft bubbles around her hardened tips. The confined space had the fragrance of the scented soap that he continued to lather into her body, leaving his imprint everywhere he touched.

“You okay?” he questioned softly, when he saw her eyes close.

She nodded. “Yes, I’m okay. Just don’t stop.” “I won’t.”

And then he was leaning down to lather lower, moving toward her waist, reaching around and massaging soap into the curves of her butt, all over her hips, and slipping his hand lower to lather the area between her legs.

When she made a deep sound in her throat, he glanced up and saw her eyes were no longer closed but were looking at him, focusing hard on his enlarged erection.

“Are you ready for me to lather you now?” she asked in a voice that sounded so sexy, it made his heart pound hard in his chest.

“Yes,” he said, forcing the words out through clenched teeth. “I’m ready.”

She took the soap from him and instead of starting with his chest the way he’d done her, she went straight to the area below his waist, reaching out and gripping him in her hand. But instead of lathering it, she just held it for a moment, stroked him, cupped him, and slowly begin sliding her fingers up and down him.

“Do you know what you’re doing to me?” he asked, backing up against the shower wall as if his legs couldn’t support him any longer.

“No, what am I doing to you?” she asked innocently, like she didn’t have a clue.

“You’re driving me crazy. You make me want to take you here and now.”

“Then do it.”

He didn’t have to be told twice, and leaning down, he captured her mouth with his at the same time that he lifted her off her feet, and she automatically wrapped her legs around him. He turned slightly and backed her against the shower wall while water cascaded over them. She gripped his shoulders when he nudged her legs apart, and before she could catch her next breath, he drove into her, locking their bodies tight. For a moment he didn’t move, just continued to kiss her with a hunger that sent waves of pleasure all through her, and when he began moving, thrusting back and forth inside her, she let out a loud scream.

That same orgasm that had torn into her ripped into him, and he began moving faster, going deeper, groaning out her name over and over again. And then he switched positions where he was the one whose back was against the wall. He sagged against it for support with her body still locked to his, refusing to let her go. And they stayed that way for long, glorious moments while getting their breathing under control, while she tucked her face into his neck.

When he pulled back, he met her gaze. Smiling, he said, “That was some shower.”

She giggled. “Yes, it was.”

His expression then turned serious. “Why?”

She knew what he was asking. “Because I’m ready to move on with my life, and I want you to be a part of it. I’ve fallen in love with you, Lyle.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” And then he was kissing her, and Monique believed with all her heart that everything would be all right.

Shannon stood at
the window in her bedroom and looked at the sky. The sun was coming up, and it was a beautiful sight. Today was a special day, the birthday of the nation, and already her nose picked up the scent of charcoal. Evidently several residents in the community had decided to fire up their grills early.

Monique decided to spend most of the day with Lyle and wouldn’t be back until later when it was time to view the fireworks from the pier. Faith, who seemed rather quiet last night, mentioned that she had picked up another book at the grocery store and intended to hang out on the beach and read.

Shannon wasn’t sure what she would be doing, although Adam’s invitation weighed heavily on her mind. He wanted her to go to Savannah with him, to a drag race, of all places. But then she figured that’s probably what a mechanic did on his days off: go somewhere to inhale more nitrogen and carbon monoxide. Why on earth did he think she would want to tag along? Did she even closely resemble a drag racing babe? If Adam Corbain thought for one minute that she would show up at his place today, then he had another thought coming.

But then when she should have been satisfied with that decision, a gentle stir seemed to vibrate under her skin. And suddenly the feel of Adam caressing her body came to mind. She quickly gathered her defenses, not willing to fall under the Corbain spell, but she couldn’t help it when an ache took over her.

The feeling was highly unexpected, and something she couldn’t explain. The only thing she knew was that she had to act on it. Moving away from the window, she went to the closet and began getting dressed. She didn’t understand any of it. All she knew was that she wanted to spend the day with Adam, no matter where he planned to go.

Later she stopped only long enough to scribble a note to place on the refrigerator for Faith and Monique. Then she quickly headed for the door.

A smile touched
Adam’s lips as he hung up the phone. The Fourth was not only the birthday of the nation, but it was also his father’s birthday, and he had just finished talking with his parents. They were excited about becoming grandparents, and he had listened while they went on and on about how long they had waited for such an event.

He checked his watch, giving up all hope that Shannon would show up. He’d figured she wouldn’t but had held out that maybe, just maybe, she would. He turned around, wanting to punch something. The woman had gotten under his skin in the worst possible way.

He glanced up when he heard a sound. She was standing there by the window. Surprise and pleasure filled him, and he quickly crossed the floor to let the garage door up. She strolled in and looked at him. Tossing her hair out of her face, she said, “You said to be here by ten. I’m here and ready to go.”

The breeze coming
in through the SUV’s window did little to cool off the inside of the vehicle as they headed toward Savannah on Highway 278. With little traffic off the island, it would take less than an hour for them to make the trip.

Shannon settled comfortably into the leather seat, feeling she was where she wanted to be and for the time being she wouldn’t question things.

She glanced over at Adam. Why did he have to be so darn handsome? Why did his mere presence cause shivers to run down her spine? He glanced over at her and caught her staring, and the grin that spread across his face was full of sin and sensuality: a deadly combination. She wished it didn’t set off the rush of desire that began spreading through her.

“You okay?” he asked in that sensuous voice of his, reaching across the seat to place his hand on her thigh.

No, she wasn’t but she wouldn’t tell him that. “I’m fine, but don’t you think you should have both of your hands on the steering wheel?”

He threw his head back and laughed. “But I like touching you.”

“I gathered as much.”

“And you like me to touch you.”

“Yes,” she admitted, deciding to be truthful about that at least. “But there’s a time and a place, and driving down the highway while doing seventy miles an hour isn’t the time or the place.”

He removed his hand from her thigh and placed it back on the steering wheel. “I’ll agree with you on that.”

“Thank you.”

When he laughed again moments later, Shannon looked over at him. “What’s so funny?”

“I was just remembering you helping me work on my car that day.”

“And that made you laugh?”

“No, not the work you did, since I’ve never seen the inside of a car so clean, but what happened later in my bathroom.”

“Oh,” she said, understanding why he’d laughed. She had dashed off to his bathroom to put on her clothes instead of doing so in front of him. Somehow she’d gotten locked in the bathroom. Instead of helping her to get out, he had threatened to hold her hostage unless she let him make love to her one more time. She had countered his offer by agreeing only if they did so without completely removing all their clothes. The end result was creativity at its best.

She glanced over at him and smiled. “You liked hearing me beg, didn’t you?”

He shook his head. “Not while you were standing on your feet and three inches of wood stood between us. I prefer hearing you beg when I have you flat on your back beneath me and we’re skin to skin. It’s even better when I’m buried deep inside you to the hilt.”

“You enjoy talking dirty, don’t you?”

His hand eased back to her thigh. “Who’s talking dirty? That’s clean. Now if you want to hear dirty, listen up.”

She barely had time to blink before some god-awful filthy words came tumbling out of his mouth, rolling off his lips and painting one hell of an erotic picture. She felt herself get embarrassed and turned on all at the same time. “You’re a bad influence on me, Adam Corbain.”

“And you, Shannon Carmichael, are a good influence on me.” A few minutes later he said, “You never did tell me why three women decided to spend their summer together at the beach.”

“Is that a crime or something?”

“No. I know women do stuff like that.”

“Men do, too, when they go on hunting trips and such.”

“That’s true.”

She turned and glanced out the window for a second, and then she glanced back at him. “There is a reason we’re here together, though. It used to be four of us, and we would spend every summer on Hilton Head together since we were teens. Me, Cely, Monique, and Faith were as thick as thick could get.”

He lifted a brow. “Were?”

“Yes, Cely died earlier this year.” She then slowly added, “She committed suicide.”

He glanced over at her. “Sorry. Did any of you know she was in that frame of mind, that she was going through some sort of depression?”

“No. We didn’t have a clue. She was the most together person that we knew. Even now we haven’t completely gotten over what happened. But in her memory, we decided to come back here this summer. We hadn’t been here together in a few years, and although Cely isn’t here in body, I believe she’s here with us this summer in spirit.”

For some reason Shannon felt good talking to Adam about her friendship with Cely.

She wasn’t surprised when he reached out and took hold of her hand. “And if you truly believe that, Shannon, then she is here with the three of you.”

Hours later, Shannon
wondered if her ears would ever be the same again with all the loud noise that came from the high-performance cars she’d seen racing that day. It had truly been an educational experience for her.

Just from conversing with the people sitting around her in the stands, she’d discovered that drag racing originated in the United States and that it had since grown in popularity in other countries.

All she had to do during any race was to glance over at Adam to see the excitement in his eyes to know that it was a sport he enjoyed. At first she hadn’t seen anything exciting about two modified cars racing against each other over a set distance to see which would cross the finish line first—especially when the driver didn’t have any turns to negotiate or opponents to defend against. Once she got into it, she discovered that what made it exhilarating was the nature of the race, which in essence tested the vehicle in terms of acceleration and top speed. And she had to admit that she’d never seen cars run so fast.

Adam had been patient in answering her questions and making sure she understood everything about each race, even if she still didn’t fully comprehend what he’d told her about a car’s engine capacity, the number of cylinders, or whether the vehicle in question had either a turbocharger or supercharger installed.

“You want to grab something to eat before we head back?”

Shannon shook her head. “No thanks. I’ve eaten too much junk food to think about eating anything else for a while. But if you’re hungry and want to stop and get something, that’s fine. I could always grab a diet soda.”

“Are you one of those women who assume they can eat whatever they want and wash the calories away by drinking a diet soda?” he asked.

She teasingly glared up at him. “And what if I am?”

Adam laughed and wrapped his arms around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him as they walked toward the exit. “Nothing. I personally like the way your body looks both in and out of your clothes,” he leaned over and whispered for her ears only.

And he had definitely seen it plenty of times without her clothes, she thought, remembering just when and how. She felt a shiver pass through her at all the recollections. “I thought we would be meeting up with some of your friends today here,” she said when they reached the parking lot and moved toward the SUV.

“I never told you that we would.”

“No, but I assumed it. Had I not come, you would have been all alone?”

He smiled down at her. “Possibly.”

She wondered if that was his way of letting her know that another female would have been glad to have been his date today? Refusing to let him know his response had bothered her, especially when she didn’t understand why it did, she said, “Well, I had fun, and I’m glad I came.”

“I’m glad you came, too.”

The drive back
to Hilton Head seemed to go a lot quicker than the drive they’d made to Savannah, and much too soon they were back at the garage.

“Are you in a hurry to leave?” Adam asked when they got out of the SUV. He closed the driver’s door and walked around the vehicle to where she was standing.

“Why?” she asked, deciding they should have had enough of each other for one day.

“I want to show you something.”

She raised a brow. “What?”

“Something.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, wondering if he was running a line on her in an attempt to get her up to his apartment. “Something like what?”

Adam laughed. “It’s not what you evidently think. In fact, if you wait here, I’ll go and get it.”

“Yes, you do that,” she said, still not convinced there was anything behind him getting her up to his apartment. She watched as he sprinted up the stairs, thinking that whatever he had to show her, he was certainly excited about it.

Shannon glanced around the garage and had to admit it was probably a lot cleaner and neater than most, but for the life of her, she couldn’t understand why someone would want to spend their life working in such a place day in and day out. It was obvious to her that Adam had the potential to do more with his life. He was so well versed on a number of things. So what was his problem?

She shrugged, deciding it was
his
problem and not hers. At least there was one thing she knew for a fact that he was 100 percent motivated to do, she thought, smiling.

She then thought about his persona. He had a good attitude and was genuinely friendly with people he met. That was obvious by how he had carried himself that day, chatting with those sitting near them in the stands. And then there was that time when they had passed by a booth a group of women had set up near the ticket gate, asking for a contributions to help build a youth center in the area. It still amazed her how Adam had reached into his wallet and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill to give to the group. Shannon was certain he didn’t make that much as a mechanic, yet he had willingly shared what he had.

She glanced up when she heard him returning, and he stopped when he came to stand in front of her. “Here.”

She took what he was offering her and cast him in a sidelong glance. “Okay, what am I supposed to do with this?”

He chuckled. “Do you know what it is?”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course. It’s a toy car,” she responded.

He leaned back against a work counter, grinning. “No, it’s a miniature replica of a ‘69 Pontiac GTO. What do you think?”

She glanced down at the item she held in her hand.
I
think men are boys who still likes to play with toys.
But to him she simply said, “I think it’s cute for an older car.”

He grinned again. “Cute?”

“Yes, cute. I like the color, since red is one of my favorite colors, and I like the tires. It’s cute.” She then glanced up at him curiously. “Was there a reason you wanted to show me this?”

“Yes,” he said, smiling brightly. “That car over there will look like this when it’s finished.”

She glanced over at the car she’d seen him working on many times and back to the miniature replica she held in her hand. Although the car looked in much better condition than it had the first time she’d seen it, she just couldn’t see it. She then tried visualizing it through his eyes and still she couldn’t see it. There was a lot of work yet to do to accomplish that. Didn’t he know there was more to life than fixing or restoring cars? “And after working on cars all day, you still want to work on that car in your spare time?”

It was on the tip of Adam’s tongue to say his spare time was all his time, but instead he said, “Yes. I get the most work done after the shop closes and then sometimes I’m working on it well after midnight.” At least that much was true. In the daytime when the shop was open, there was usually too much activity going on for him to do his best work.

“Well, thanks for sharing with me. I can tell pulling this off means a lot to you,” she said.