Bliss (14 page)

Her sexy anonymous stranger.

Chapter Twelve

Kara tilted her head, but couldn’t detect it again. . . . Wait, there it was. She couldn’t make out the words, but it was definitely the man from last night.

“I found them.” J.M.’s voice, and his touch on her arm, startled her. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I . . . uh . . . I think I heard . . . someone I know.” She didn’t want to tell him she thought she’d heard the man who’d made love to her last night. Although she didn’t know anything about him, even what he looked like, J.M. obviously did. Would he feel he had to introduce them? She did
not
want that to happen.

“Do you want to find your friend and invite her to join us?” J.M. asked.

“No. Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay. The hostess said Grace is already here so she’ll take us to the table.”

He rested his hand on the small of her back and guided her through the crowd. The hostess returned after seating another two people and smiled.

“Ready?” She led them around a corner to a table near the front window.

“Hi, Kara. J.M.” Grace said. “As you can see, J.M., I ran into a friend of yours.”

Beside Grace sat a tall, handsome guy with straight, light brown hair, cut short on the sides and longer on top, with errant strands falling across his forehead in a sexy fashion. He had a strong jaw, full lips, and deep sea blue eyes.

“Quinn. What are you doing here?” J.M. asked.

“I went to Grace’s workshop and introduced myself afterward. She knows we’re friends, so she invited me for lunch.”

That voice. Kara’s heart thundered in her chest. Oh, God, this was her anonymous stranger.

“You must be Kara.” Quinn smiled broadly, no obvious sign of recognition in his face as he offered his hand, but he absolutely knew who she was. How could he not?

She hesitated, then placed her hand in his. Immediately, a quiver raced along her arm.

“Well, buddy,” Quinn continued, his gaze never wavering from her face, her hand still enveloped in his, “we’re a couple of lucky guys. We’re with the two most beautiful women at the conference.”

He brushed his lips along the back of her hand in a delicate kiss. Her knees went weak.

Oh, God. His voice. His charm. At the same time that she wanted to crawl away and hide, she wanted to climb into his lap and kiss those devilish smiling lips of his while he wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her close. She could imagine his cock hardening between their bodies, then it gliding into her . . . his hard, thick shaft filling her.

Good heavens. Fantasizing about hot sex in the middle of a restaurant with a total stranger . . . who’d already made love to her while she wore a blindfold last night . . . This was so unlike her. What was J.M. doing to her?

J.M. pulled out a chair and she sat down, then he sat beside her. Quinn sat facing her.

All through lunch, her blood sizzled with awareness. She barely heard their conversation, trying her best to remain invisible.

“You haven’t said much, honey,” Grace said over coffee. “Are you feeling okay? You seem a little flushed.”

“Fine. Just a little . . . tired.” Her cheeks flushed hotter as she wondered if either of the men took that as a reference to her not getting much sleep because she’d been busy doing other things in bed last night.

Quinn glanced at his watch. “Well, I hate to break up the party, but I’ve got to get back early to prepare for my workshop.”

“I’m the only one here not giving a workshop at this conference.” Although Kara wrote a sex column, she felt out of her depth with these three very real sex experts.

“You’re working here in a different way.” Grace turned to Quinn. “Kara interviewed Jeremy for a sex column she writes for
Urban Woman
magazine.”

“Really?” He sent her a devilish grin. “Well, maybe you’d like to interview me, too. I can tell you all about Kama Sutra.” He winked. “And plenty of other interesting things about sex, too. I bet your readers would be fascinated.”

She nodded, unable to utter a word. She was sure her readers would be fascinated by a great many things about Quinn, especially her experience with him last night.

Quinn took a final sip of his coffee and tossed some money on the table.

“If you two don’t mind, I’ll go with Quinn,” Grace said.

“It’s okay with me,” J.M. said. “Kara and I can relax over coffee, and talk.”

Grace picked up her purse, then smiled at J.M. and leaned toward him.

“He’s great,” she whispered, nudging her head toward Quinn.

Kara watched Quinn and Grace leave the restaurant, then pass by the window on their way back to the hotel.

“Grace is hoping to go out with him, right?” she asked.

J.M. nodded.

“Do you think that’ll work out?”

“Probably not.” He caught her gaze. “Especially since you want to see him again.”

Her blood froze in her veins and she fiddled with her napkin. “See him again?”

“Come on, Kara, I know you recognized him.” He leaned forward. “Look, I’m really sorry about that. I didn’t mean to put you in an awkward position.” He smiled and took her hand. “You handled the situation admirably.”

“You think he knows?”

He chuckled. “Of course he knows.” He stroked her cheek. “I know he was dazzled by your naked beauty, but still . . . a blindfold isn’t much of a disguise.”

Her cheeks flushed hotly.

“Don’t worry about it. He enjoyed last night . . . and he will be totally discreet. He’ll never acknowledge what happened unless you’d like him to.”

A ripple of excitement flashed across her skin. She licked her lips, thinking of Quinn’s hard, masculine body pressed to hers.

“Why would I want him to?”

“Because maybe you’d like him to join us for another fantasy.”

She gazed into J.M.’s brown eyes, hunger burning inside her. “Like what?”

He grinned. “A really popular fantasy for women is a ménage à trois. Do you want to give it a try?”

Images of J.M. in front of her, Quinn behind, crushing her between their bodies, their hard cocks delving into her, sent her pulse racing.

She drew in a deep breath and hesitated. A threesome? How could she do something like that?

Ha. This from the woman who let a total stranger have his way with her last night.

She chewed her lower lip. When had she become such a prude? They were talking about sex between consenting adults. With two experts on sex, as a matter of fact. And writing about sex was her job.

Research didn’t get any better than this! How could she possibly
not
do this?

J.M. slid his arm around her waist, sending currents of need through her. “I could arrange it for tonight.”

She gazed at him, wondering if she should drag him up to one of their rooms and have her way with him right now. On the other hand, anticipation—and the promise of two hot, hard guys—would make it all the better!

“Tonight would be good.”

A knock sounded at the door. Kara stiffened and tightened the knot of her black satin robe. That would be her sexy stranger from last night. Quinn.

Could she really do this?

J.M. went to the door and opened it.

“Quinn, come in.” J.M. stepped back and let Quinn in.

He looked so sexy in slim-fitting blue jeans that hugged his long, lean thighs, and a casual navy shirt. His gaze immediately fell on Kara. Some of his straight, light brown hair had fallen across his forehead, and he raked it back as his gaze caressed her satin-clad form. A slow smile spread across his face, lighting his deep blue eyes.

“Kara . . .” Her name sounded like silk gliding from his lips. “It’s wonderful seeing you again.”

His ocean blue gaze locked on hers, holding her mesmerized as he stepped toward her. She drew in a breath as he approached, forcing herself to breathe out again.

“J.M. told me you recognized me at lunch.”

She nodded. “Your voice.”

“Ah . . .” His lips turned up in a devilish smile. “And I thought you sensed a magical aura about me.”

He took her hand and brought it to his lips. The delicate brush of his mouth sent tingles dancing along her skin.

“I am delighted you want to see me again,” he said. “Ever since last night, I haven’t stopped thinking about you.”

He turned her hand over and pressed his lips to her palm. Her knees nearly buckled on the spot.

“J.M., are there any ground rules this evening?” he asked, releasing neither Kara’s hand nor her gaze. Even though he was talking to J.M., it felt as though she and Quinn were the only ones in the room.

“The only rule is that Kara is comfortable with whatever happens.” J.M. stepped behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Anything to add, Kara?”

Oh, God, she couldn’t think, let alone form words, so she simply shook her head.

J.M. nuzzled her ear. “Would you like some wine?”

“Yes, please.” Maybe that would help calm her. This whole situation was unsettling, yet wildly exciting.

Quinn’s mouth found the inside of her wrist. Tingles skated up her arm, then quivered down her spine. He kissed along her forearm, then nuzzled the inside of her elbow. She felt dizzy and excited, her blood simmering with heat. His kisses continued up her arm to her shoulder. When he pressed his lips to her neck she grasped his shoulders for support.

She gazed at him, her lips slightly parted. Her focus dropped to his lips. He tipped up her chin and dropped his mouth to hers. At the first brush of his lips, she drew in a deep breath, then surrendered herself to the passionate onslaught of his mouth. His lips moved on hers with a masterful confidence, then his tongue nudged forward and slipped inside. She met his tongue with enthusiasm, delving into his mouth and exploring freely.

This man was so sexy and confident . . . and knew how to make a woman feel desired.

“Your wine.” J.M.’s voice startled her from her delightful surrender.

She drew back from Quinn and took the wineglass from J.M. She felt a little flushed and strangely embarrassed by kissing Quinn in front of J.M. Although last night, J.M. had watched Quinn make love to her. She had had on a blindfold, which had made it feel somewhat . . . surreal. She hadn’t seen either of them . . . had been totally caught up in the fantasy painted by J.M.’s words. It had been as if only she and J.M. were present. Now it was different.

She sipped her wine . . . glanced at J.M., then Quinn . . . then sipped her wine again.

J.M. ran his hands over her shoulders and smiled.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t have to be embarrassed.”

She stared at the stemmed glass in her hand and nodded.

He took the glass from her fingers and set it on the round table, then drew her into his arms.

“I’m not jealous. This fantasy . . . you and me . . . and another man . . . I know it’s exciting to you, and that’s exciting to me.”

“And it’s sure as hell exciting to me, too,” Quinn added with a chuckle.

A small smile spread across her lips and she kissed J.M. His arms around her, his lips moving on hers, made her feel secure. And confident. She could do this.

Their kiss turned passionate, sending wild tremors through her as the hormones she’d been trying desperately to rein in finally released. Her nipples puckered and her insides seemed to melt. She stroked her fingers along J.M.’s clean-shaven cheeks, loving the feel of his masculine jaw moving as his tongue explored her mouth thoroughly.

Their tongues danced as J.M.’s hands caressed her back. Then another hand glided across her shoulder. Quinn stroked her hair to one side and kissed the back of her neck. J.M. cupped her cheeks and Quinn shifted closer, his hard chest pressing against her back. Quinn ran his hands down the sides of her ribs, sending a frenzy of sensation dancing through her. Her nipples pulsed with need and she arched forward, crushing her breasts against J.M.’s muscular chest.

J.M. released her lips and turned her around. Quinn covered her mouth with his and swirled his tongue inside while J.M. cupped her breasts. She sucked on Quinn’s tongue while J.M. squeezed and caressed her swollen mounds until she gasped, dropping her head back against J.M.’s shoulders.

“Come here, sweetheart,” J.M. said as he guided her backward. He sat down on the couch and eased her in front of him so she perched on the edge between his strong thighs.

Quinn sat in the chair opposite them, just a couple of feet away. She was facing Quinn, with J.M. cradling her from behind. Starting at her shoulders, J.M.’s hands glided down her body, over the black satin of her robe. He cupped her breasts and teased her nipples. Quinn watched with great interest, his sea blue gaze locked on J.M.’s active fingers. J.M. continued down her ribs. When he encountered the sash of her robe, his fingers entangled in the narrow band of fabric and she felt it release. She watched Quinn’s darkening blue eyes as J.M. drew open the fabric.

Her breathing quickened as he revealed her nearly naked form, dressed only in a skimpy lace bra, panties, garter belt, and black stockings. At Quinn’s heated gaze, her nipples puckered even tighter.

“You love him seeing you, don’t you?” J.M. murmured in her ear.

She nodded, seeing no point in denying it. J.M. pulled her robe down her shoulders, then twisted the fabric tight around her upper arms like a binding, thrusting forward her breasts. She sucked in air at the immensely erotic feeling of being held captive in this way.

J.M. stared down at her. “They really are quite lovely.” While still holding her immobilized, he stroked his free hand over one breast, then the other. He dipped one finger under the lace cup and teased her hard nipple. She arched against him. He slipped the rest of his fingers inside her bra and cupped her breast, then caressed.

She wanted more. Oh, so much more.

He released the fabric behind her and drew the robe from her arms. Then his other hand snaked around her waist and he caressed her ribs and descended to her panties. His finger trailed along the edge of the lace, then dipped underneath. She almost gasped as it curled between her legs and dipped inside. Her thighs spread wider to give him better access.