Chemistry of Desire (11 page)

He straddled her body, making it easier for him to pleasure both her breasts. Their hands found each other and their fingers laced together. She was moaning and saying his name as he kissed his way down her body, licking her navel as he began to pull off her thong. She raised her hips off the bed to help him and just when he began to achieve their mutual goal, his phone rang. Emily
froze, wondering what he was going to do. To her horror, he answered it on the first ring.

“Dr. Wainwright. Yes, okay. How many? Okay, I’ll be there in twenty minutes. You know what I need. See you soon.”

His voice and demeanor had changed completely. He was off the bed and the firelight was lost as he turned on the bedside lamp. Emily took the ends of the furry throw and covered her body. “What’s going on, Todd?”

He leaned over and kissed her mouth gently but quickly. “I’m on call tonight. I traded with another doctor so I could have the next two nights off,” he said as he was hastily pulling on clean underwear. “I wanted to make sure I could be with you on your birthday, if you wanted me there.” His voice trailed off as he went into the closet for jeans and a thick tweed sweater. He pulled socks out of a drawer and sat down to put them on.

“You do want me there, right? I’m not imagining things, am I?” He looked at her over his shoulder as he put on the second sock.

Emily smiled; she couldn’t seem to help it. “No, you’re not imagining things. Can I get a cab to get back to Ayanna’s?”

Todd was in constant motion, even as he was talking. He got a navy blue velour robe out of the closet and handed it to her. “Sweetheart, it’s too far. If you don’t mind waiting here, I’ll take you
home as soon as I’m done. I’m only five minutes from the hospital and it may not be as bad as they think,” he mumbled as he went out of the room.

Emily put the robe on and followed him. He was already in his boots and was putting on his coat. “Listen, baby, is this okay, I mean staying here? I hate to put you out, but I can’t plan for emergencies.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I’ll be here when you get back.”

He gave her the wide, joyful smile that had always attracted her. He held her tight for a long hug and one last kiss. “There are remotes for everything and there’s food in the refrigerator if you get hungry. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

And with that the door closed behind him. It was so strange to see him in action. He was a trauma surgeon at a very busy urban hospital and he was bound to get called in on emergencies. Somehow Emily had stopped thinking about the sum total of the man. She had been too busy concentrating on the part of him that had hurt her so badly. This was something she hadn’t expected at all. She went to find her purse and get her cell phone. She had to call Ayanna and let her know she wouldn’t be back until the next day. And she had some thinking to do until then.

E
mily came awake slowly. Todd’s bed was the best one she’d ever slept in. She was warm, well rested and so relaxed it was as if she was floating. And she was naked. It hadn’t made sense for her to get dressed again, and she felt so wonderful without clothes on she just didn’t put them back on. She began her usual morning stretch and quickly realized that she was floating, or at least resting, on Todd. His arms were around her, and he seemed just as comfortable as she. Obviously, he’d come back and gotten in bed with her without waking her. She was torn between being embarrassed and being aroused. On the one hand, this wasn’t the
way she’d imagined waking up, but on the other, she couldn’t think of a better way to start the day. Her cheeks turned hot at her boldness, and she began to move away from his warmth. His arms tightened around her.

“Don’t leave,” he said in a voice made even deeper by sleep. “You feel so good.”

His hands were stroking her bare body, caressing her butt and the sensitive spot at the base of her spine. She sighed, a sound of contentment and longing as she melted against him. Her face was cradled on his shoulder and he kissed her forehead.

“What time did you get home? What time is it now?” she murmured.

“It’s about eight. I got home a couple of hours ago. Damn, you feel good. Happy birthday, sweetheart.”

“It is my birthday,” she said dreamily. “I forgot all about it.”

“I could never forget something that important,” he said.

“You have a very sexy voice, Todd.”

“Don’t tell me things like that. I’ll start singing to you.”

She giggled as she began her own exploration of his body, loving the feel of his smooth skin. Her hand went down his chest, down past his navel to seek out his manhood. It felt heavy, hard and familiar in her hand. She squeezed gently and began
to explore every inch of it as he groaned in pleasure. He gently rolled her over onto her back to start an investigation of his own, starting with her lips then her neck, her shoulders and her chest, while his hand found the moist warmth between her legs. When her hips began to move, his lips followed his hand so he could explore every bit of her with his mouth. His tongue reached the center of her, licking and sucking until she reached her first climax, but he wouldn’t stop until she had come again and was crying his name.

He showed her no mercy but much more passion. Every time she thought she couldn’t experience more sensation, he showed her how much more he could give. He finally relented and slowly kissed his way back up her body until he was holding her close and kissing her face.

“Um, Todd, that was…” Emily pushed her hair out of her face and sighed as he continued to kiss her face with one hand cupped around her cheek.

“Yes, it was,” he said. “I totally agree.”

“Now it’s your turn,” she told him. “That
was
my turn, baby,” he said with a rakish smile.

She had to laugh at his smug expression. She held his face for a long kiss and replied, “Well then, this is my turn. Lay back, sugar.”

He was even more erect than before, and he felt twice as hard. When her mouth touched him she
could feel his reaction, and she licked him as she would a giant ice-cream cone on the hottest day of summer. She wanted to give him the same passionate torture he’d given her, taking him to the highest level of satisfaction possible, and he gave her every indication that she was doing just that.

“Emily, Emmie, baby, come here, damn,” he moaned as he urged her to change positions so that he could enter her. Their bodies came together hard and fast. She locked her legs around his waist and he reared back so he was on his knees, thrusting his body into hers. He pumped into her sweetness until they exploded as one, finally collapsing on the bed, sweating and breathing hard.

Neither one of them said a word for a long time, but their silence spoke volumes. They stayed locked in each other’s arms until they fell asleep.

“Where are you going?” Emily’s eyes were half-closed and her voice was sleepy and very sexy.

Todd was getting out of bed as quietly as possible, but he’d disturbed her sleep. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to wake you, but I’m needed at the hospital. I’m working a swing shift, and figured I’d go in early to check on my patients from last night.” He leaned over to kiss her forehead. “I was gonna grab a quick shower and fix you breakfast.”

“How about if we shower together and I fix you breakfast?”

She looked so sweet with her tangled hair and her now makeupless face that Todd felt a deep twinge in his heart. He could get used to this very quickly. “Shower it is. I think you’re gonna like it.”

He held his hands out to her and pulled her out of the bed, holding her close before walking her backward into the bathroom.

“This is one swanky bathroom, Todd. I did take advantage of the facilities a couple of times, and I was very impressed.”

“Yeah, Billie outdid herself on this place,” Todd said proudly.

The bathroom was a place of beauty. Blue-green glass tiles on the walls, heated slate tiles on the floor, custom glass counters, dual marble vessel sinks and a marble soaking tub made it look chic and modern, but the shower took it over the top. It was a stand-alone unit enclosed in glass with an elaborate panel of controls on opposing sides of the enclosure. The floor of the shower was teak, to match the cleverly designed storage units.

“I don’t suppose there’s an extra toothbrush to be had,” Emily inquired.

Todd gave her an odd look. “Absolutely. Just don’t tell Jason about this,” he warned. He opened one of the cupboards and took out a case of new
toothbrushes. “Help yourself. Yeah, I have dental OCD. I can’t use a toothbrush more than once. Jason used to give me the business over it, and I let him think I’d outgrown what he thinks is bizarre behavior. But I didn’t, so here you go. You can have a brush for every tooth if you want.”

Emily dissolved in laughter when he finished his explanation. Todd pretended to be offended.

“Go ahead, laugh it up. You think I’m a lunatic, right?”

“No, I think you’re adorable. Toothpaste?”

As he handed her the tube, he was struck again by how comfortable and easy this was. He’d never met a woman he wanted to be with in the morning. That was one of the reasons he’d never had one stay at the loft. And he’d never known a woman as unselfconscious and natural as Emily. Even brushing her teeth she looked as sexy as the top runway model of the moment, whoever that might be.

“Todd, this thing is way complicated.” Emily was examining the panels in the shower. “You wouldn’t happen to have a remote for this, would you?”

He did indeed, and he began to show her the various settings. Emily shook her head. “Just turn it on. You can show me the rest later. The heated floors are wonderful, but I’m getting cold and I don’t want to make you late for work.”

Todd laughed at the expression on her face when the water came on. The multiple heads with their various settings turned the shower into something like an aquatic sex toy. The water jets vibrated and pulsed and stimulated body parts in a way that had to be experienced to be believed. They tried to be quick and chaste in deference to Todd’s schedule, but it was difficult.

“If you let me, I promise to make this up to you tonight. I give you my word.”

Their wet, soapy arms were locked around each other’s bodies while Emily’s hips moved against his groin.

“I couldn’t say no to that, could I?”

By mutual agreement they rinsed off. Emily was looking around for towels, but there didn’t seem to be any. Todd gave her a secretive smile. “One more thing we have to thank Billie for,” he said.

He stood her in front of a sleek freestanding panel with a vertical row of round vents and pushed a button. Warm air began blowing over her body, giving her yet another new sensation.

“An energy-efficient body dryer,” he explained.

Her eyes closed in bliss as she experienced the ultimate finish to a perfect shower. “You’re just full of surprises, Todd.”

“You have no idea. Wait until tonight.”

He covered her mouth with his to prevent her from asking any questions, but she didn’t mind at all.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Emily, I told you I have plenty of time to take you to Ayanna’s house before I go to the hospital. And, yes, I’m coming in to say hello to your mother and your sister. We’re two grown and sexy adults, and we have no reason to be embarrassed about anything we did from the time we left them until now. This ain’t no ‘walk of shame,’ sweetheart. I don’t know where you ladies get your crazy ideas from.”

She opened her mouth to snap, “They aren’t crazy notions. They are proven tenets derived from sordid dealings with trifling men,” but the words wouldn’t come out. It was exactly what she’d have said a few months ago, but now it would have felt as if she was uttering a foreign language. In addition, they had reached Ayanna’s big brick house and there was no turning back.

Todd opened her door and gallantly helped her out of the car as though he’d been doing it forever. That, too, would have earned a snarky remark from her in the past, but she’d found that she liked it. He had nice manners and he didn’t make a big show out of it, so there was no reason to be a quasifeminist bitch about it. She tightened
her fingers around Todd’s and prepared for the inquisition to come.

Lucie opened the door before Emily could use her key. “There you are! Happy birthday, darling,” she said brightly, planting a kiss on Emily’s cheek. “I made breakfast. Do you have time for a bite, Todd?” She turned her cheek to accept his kiss.

Emily raised both her eyebrows and looked over her mother’s shoulder to Ayanna, who was sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea. She had a smile on her face that meant she was going to grill Emily at length at her earliest opportunity, but all she said was “Good morning, you two. And happy birthday, Em.”

It was by far the strangest birthday she could remember, and it wasn’t even noon. Todd gladly accepted her mother’s invitation to join them. He smiled, remembering Emily and him had gotten carried away in the shower, totally forgetting their own plans for breakfast. He devoured two waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, orange juice and coffee while making pleasant conversation as if there was nothing unusual about him bringing her home after they spent the night together.

“Thanks so much, Mrs. Porter, for the delicious meal. I truly hate to eat and run, but I do have to check in with my patients,” Todd said.

“Honey, call me Lucie. And you’re more than welcome. Are you taking Emmie out tonight? We
always celebrate her birthday on Thanksgiving weekend since the two days are so close, but I think it would be nice to do something on her day,” she said with the bright smile no male could resist.

Emily’s face grew warm with chagrin. There were worse things than the legendary walk of shame. She looked to Ayanna for support, but she was laughing into her cup, the traitor.

Todd rose from the table and leaned down to kiss her, right on the mouth in front of everyone. “I happen to have something very special planned tonight. Is eight okay?”

“Yes, that’s…perfect,” Emily said softly.

She walked Todd to the door and watched him walk down the driveway. She braced herself for the onslaught of questions she knew she’d have to field from Lucie and Ayanna and turned around to face them. And they weren’t there. She was alone in the kitchen, but she heard Lucie call to her from upstairs.

“Come on up, I want to show you something, Emmie.”

She trudged up the stairs slowly, but when she got to the guest bedroom she was using, she had to laugh. Madison and Lindsey, up from their nap, were seated on her bed amidst an array of cards and presents and some shiny helium balloons.

“For me?”

“Of course, you goofy girl,” Ayanna said with a laugh. “Hurry up and open them.”

Lucie gave her a big hug and suggested she hurry. “You have another surprise and you don’t want to be late.”

Emily sat on the bed and her nieces crawled onto her lap. She felt happy and slightly dazed at the same time. This was definitely her most unusual birthday. Ever. Her mother had given her an array of Christian Dior perfume products in Miss Dior Chérie, a light, feminine scent that was just perfect. Ayanna’s gift was some very sexy lingerie in a champagne color trimmed with bronze lace. It was all there, bustier, bra, thong and garter belt. She’d also given her a nice selection of hosiery. Panty hose, regular hosiery and sexily textured tights in great colors. They were just what Emily needed.

“Honey, I know the style is to go barelegged these days, but we Southern girls get too cold to go without all year-round. I pity the ones that do,” Ayanna said, shaking her head.

Lucie agreed with her. “I have to have something on my legs in the winter, especially up here. I don’t know how all those models and movie stars do it. I really don’t.”

Emily laughed. “But Mom, you’re in South Carolina in the winter! It doesn’t get that cold at home,” she protested.

“Yes, but Columbia might not be home forever. I’m really thinking about moving to Chicago,” Lucie said quietly.

Emily stared at her mother and waited for a wave of rage to cross her, but it didn’t. All she felt was curiosity. “Really, Mom?”

Lucie smiled at her youngest daughter and patted her cheek. “Yes, I’m really thinking about it. I want to spend more time with my grandchildren, for one thing. And the house is much too big for me and too much to maintain by myself,” she offered. “And I do love Chicago, except for the coldest parts of winter. And…”

Emily held up both hands. “Mom, you don’t have to explain to me. If this would be a good change for you, go for it. I can see why you’d want a change,” she said calmly.

Lucie looked relieved and Ayanna looked smug as Emily went back to trying on her new perfume and body cream. “I told you that Emily would be fine with it,” Ayanna said. “Emily, hurry up and get dressed so we can go. It’s time for your next surprise.”

“Am I going to like it?” Emily asked and smiled.

“You’re gonna love it, if we get there on time. Make haste, chick!”